NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is back to studying the universe, even as the aging spacecraft continues to lose altitude and a planned mission to raise its orbit has been scaled back. Two of Swift’s three science instruments are operating again after months of conservation measures designed to reduce atmospheric drag and keep the observatory [...]
An airplane carrying a rocket loaded with a robotic spacecraft designed to raise NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory departed the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Thursday, June 18.
Stargazer, a modified L-1011 operated by Northrop Grumman, took off for Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Attached to the belly of the aircraft was one of the company’s Pegasus XL rockets with LINK inside.
NASA contracted Katalyst Space to design and build LINK to rendezvous and dock with Swift and lift it back to a higher altitude.
Spacecraft in low Earth orbit experience drag caused by our planet’s atmosphere, which gradually reduces their altitude if they do not have propulsion systems to counteract the effect.
Recent solar activity magnified this effect on Swift, which began to sink faster than anticipated.
Katalyst selected Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL launch vehicle as the best means of reaching Swift on a short timeline based on orbital and programmatic needs.
Later this month, Stargazer will carry the rocket to an altitude of around 40,000 feet before releasing it.
After several seconds in free-fall, Pegasus XL will fire the first of its three-stage rocket motors, delivering LINK into orbit in about 10 minutes.
Learn more about the Swift mission at:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/swift-boost-mission/
By Jeanette Kazmierczak
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The post Aircraft Carrying Swift Boost Satellite Takes off From NASA Wallops appeared first on NASA Science.
Engineers attached a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket to the company’s Stargazer aircraft at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, June 12.
The rocket will carry LINK, a robotic servicing spacecraft from Katalyst Space, into orbit ahead of an attempt to boost NASA’s sinking Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
All spacecraft in low Earth orbit experience drag caused by our planet’s atmosphere, which gradually reduces their altitudes unless they have propulsion systems to counteract the effect.
A recent bout of solar activity magnified this effect on Swift, and its orbit has lowered faster than anticipated.
Katalyst selected Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket as the best launch option for reaching the observatory in time for LINK to perform the boost procedure, based on the mission’s orbital and programmatic needs. Northrop Grumman will deploy the rocket using Stargazer, the company’s modified L-1011 airplane.
LINK will launch from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, later this month.
Learn more about the Swift boost:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/swift-boost-mission/
By Jeanette Kazmierczak
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The post Rocket Attached to Aircraft for Katalyst-NASA Swift Boost appeared first on NASA Science.
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A new type of gamma-ray sensor developed by NASA, called AstroPix, will take part in a robotic arm demonstration on the agency’s upcoming Fly Foundational Robots mission, set to launch in late 2027.
Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light. Scientists observe them coming from events like lightning in Earth’s atmosphere, powerful solar flares from our Sun, and cosmic collisions in distant galaxies. The sensors on the AstroPix technology demonstration are designed to measure gamma rays between 20,000 and 700,000 electron volts. For comparison, visible light’s energy falls between 2 and 3 electron volts.
Current NASA missions, including the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, also observe gamma rays, including those with even higher energies.
But for energies between 500,000 to 1 million electron volts, existing detectors are less sensitive. This range is where many powerful explosions called gamma-ray bursts shine the brightest. It’s also where astronomers expect to see the strongest glow from the most massive and distant active galaxies powered by black holes. By stacking AstroPix detectors in future missions, scientists could bridge this gap and improve observations of these cosmic objects to better understand the processes that create and drive them.
“The Fly Foundational Robots spacecraft is also a technology demonstration, so the projects were a good fit for each other,” said Dan Violette, an AstroPix team member and post-doctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We need to thoroughly test AstroPix’s performance before we can use the sensors in future science missions. We’ve flown comparable technologies on a scientific balloon mission, and the current prototype eventually will be part of a sounding rocket payload. Many of those flight opportunities only reach near space, though. It’s not often that technology demonstrations like ours can find a ride into orbit.”
Each AstroPix chip contains four silicon pixel gamma-ray detectors, and each detector incorporates 1,225 pixels. The chips function similarly to the sensors in cell phone cameras.
The AstroPix Satellite Technology dEmonstration Payload, also known as A-STEP, will be hosted within the Fly Foundational Robots mission’s Orbital Replacement Unit, a movable module built by Rocket Lab Robotics. Rocket Lab Robotics also will provide a robotic arm that will pick up and reposition the unit during flight and perform in-orbit operations as part of a robotic servicing demonstration. The A-STEP payload will collect its data following the repositioning. Astro Digital will provide the spacecraft.
The Orbital Replacement Unit was designed to support power and data interfaces for a payload, but the original plan called for the robotic arm to reposition the module without one. As mission development progressed, however, the Fly Foundational Robots team identified an opportunity to further maximize the mission’s value by integrating an additional technology demonstration that could fit within the 11.8-inch (30-centimeter) cube.
“The unit already had the volume, power, and data needed to support the AstroPix team’s design,” said Bo Naasz, senior technical lead, In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “One of our major goals with Fly Foundational Robots is to demonstrate robotic changeout of payloads in orbit, enabling upgrades or improvements to satellites and space instruments at a fraction of the cost of a full mission. Allowing AstroPix to complete its own technology demonstration in orbit is a bonus.”
The AstroPix team is working to deliver their hardware this September, and it will be integrated into the Fly Foundational Robots payload before final integration onto the spacecraft. The Orbital Replacement Unit will hold the chips and all the associated electronics needed to provide power, and collect and transmit data during flight.
NASA’s Fly Foundational Robots mission is funded through the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s ISAM portfolio, managed at NASA Goddard. Rocket Lab Robotics will supply the mission’s robotic arm system through a NASA Small Business Innovation Research Phase III award. Astro Digital will host the orbital flight test of the arm through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The development of AstroPix was supported by NASA’s Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, through the agency’s Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program, and funded through the Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship.
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By Jeanette Kazmierczak
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The post NASA Robotic Tech Demo Will Advance Prototype Gamma-Ray Detectors appeared first on NASA Science.
Engineers completed installation of Katalyst Space’s LINK robotic servicing spacecraft into a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket on Tuesday, June 9, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Launch is anticipated later this month.
NASA contracted Katalyst to build and launch LINK to raise the altitude of the agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
Our planet’s atmosphere creates drag for spacecraft in low Earth orbit, gradually reducing their altitudes if they don’t have propulsion systems to counteract the effect.
Recent solar activity magnified this effect on Swift, and its orbit decayed faster than anticipated.
Based on the orbital and programmatic needs of the mission, Katalyst selected the air-launched Pegasus XL as the best means of reaching the observatory in time to perform the boost maneuver.
Northrop Grumman will launch the rocket using Stargazer, its modified L-1011 aircraft.
NASA has previously used similar versions of this launch vehicle to deploy its ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) and NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) spacecraft.
Next, Northrop Grumman engineers will attach Pegasus XL to Stargazer, which will carry it from NASA Wallops to Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, for launch.
Learn more about the Swift boost at:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/swift-boost-mission/
By Jeanette Kazmierczak
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The post Rocket Integration Complete for Katalyst-NASA Swift Boost appeared first on NASA Science.
The Neil Gehrels’ Swift Observatory is NASA’s astrophysics multitool, capable of quickly observing a wide range of cosmic objects in visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray light. It launched as the Swift Gamma-ray Observatory on Nov. 20, 2004. In 2018, the agency renamed it in honor of Neil Gehrels, who helped develop the mission and served as its first principal investigator.
At launch, Swift was a first-of-its kind multiwavelength observatory designed to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the cosmos, using its three telescopes.
The spacecraft, which was built by Northrop Grumman (formerly General Dynamics), is named after the bird for its ability to rapidly turn to study bursts and their afterglows, which has made it a key player in NASA’s fleet of spacecraft that participate in time-domain astronomy, the study of astronomical objects across various divisions of time, from microseconds to decades or more.
Swift is also important to multimessenger astronomy, which involves detecting light — the best-known astrophysical “messenger” — emitted from sources discovered by observatories sensitive to non-electromagnetic signals, like high-energy particles and space-time ripples called gravitational waves. It has contributed to the study of everything from comets in our solar system to black hole activity in distant galaxies.
In January 2025, the Swift team realized the spacecraft would re-enter the atmosphere in the summer of 2026. NASA decided to attempt to boost the observatory to advance U.S. private spacecraft servicing, demonstrating a key capability for the future of space exploration, and extend Swift’s scientific lifetime.
| Lead NASA center: | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Operations center: | Pennsylvania State University’s Eberly College of Science |
| Launch: | November 20, 2004 |
| Wavelengths: | Visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma-ray |
| Height: | 18.5 feet (5.6 meters) |
| Weight: | 3,200 pounds (1,470 kilograms) |
| Solar panel length: | 13 feet (4 meters) |
NASA contracted Katalyst Space, in Flagstaff, Arizona, to boost Swift in September 2025. The company had one year to design, build, test, and launch its LINK robotic servicing spacecraft to meet, grab, and lift Swift.
The Katalyst team constructed LINK at its Broomfield, Colorado, facility and tested it there and at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
LINK will launch on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket in June 2026. Once in space, the Katalyst team will spend several weeks checking out the satellite’s major systems, including power, navigation, and sensors.
Then LINK will approach Swift and complete a visual survey. The Katalyst team has identified several potential grab points, but after 20 years of wear and tear in space, those locations need to be verified with the Swift team before moving forward.
After the inspection is complete, LINK will use its three robotic arms to secure Swift before slowly boosting it to nearly its original orbit of around 370 miles (600 kilometers) over the course of several months. LINK’s three ion thrusters are powered by about 130 pounds (60 kilograms) of xenon gas.
Once the lift is complete, LINK will detach from Swift and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.
| Company: | Katalyst Space |
| Launch: | June 2026 |
| Height: | 5 feet (1.5 meters) |
| Weight: | 935 pounds (425 kilograms) |
| Solar panel length: | 20 feet (6 meters) |
| Propulsion: | Three xenon-fueled thrusters |
| Robotic arms: | Three, deployed after launch |
The Pegasus XL was the first U.S. air-deployed orbital launch vehicle and the first commercially developed launcher. Originally produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation, the rockets are now operated by Northrop Grumman, which is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.
The Pegasus XL can carry payloads up to about 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms).
To launch the Pegasus XL, Northrop Grumman’s Stargazer, a modified L-1011 aircraft, carries the rocket to around 40,000 feet before releasing it. After several seconds in free-fall, the Pegasus XL fires the first of its three-stage rocket motors, typically delivering its payload into orbit in about 10 minutes.
Because Northrop Grumman can launch the Pegasus XL from almost anywhere in the world, Katalyst selected the rocket for deployment to reach Swift’s low-inclination orbit near the equator on the mission’s condensed timeline.
LINK will take off from above Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
| Company: | Northrop Grumman |
| Length: | 57 feet (17 meters) |
| Weight: | 53,000 pounds (24,000 kilograms) |
| Payload weight: | Up to 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) |
| Launch altitude: | 40,000 feet |
| Launch location: | Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands |
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NASA analysts generate annual altitude forecasts for the agency’s fleet of spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. In November 2023, predictions for NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory showed a split in its re-entry possibilities, with some showing re-entry in the following two years and others much later, in the 2030s. In 2024, the Sun reached its solar maximum, triggering intense space weather that was more active than expected. The activity caused Earth’s atmosphere to expand slightly and increased its drag on Swift. By January 2025, almost all the models had Swift re-entering by the summer of 2026.
NASA supported concept studies from two U.S. companies to raise Swift to a higher orbit as part of its effort to drive the development of the nation’s private spacecraft servicing industry and demonstrate a key capability for the future of space exploration.
NASA awarded Katalyst Space, based in Flagstaff, Arizona, $30 million to move forward with an attempt to boost Swift. The company had less than a year to design, build, test, and launch its LINK satellite to meet, grab, and lift the observatory.
Katalyst selected Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket to launch LINK. Northrop Grumman’s Stargazer, a modified L-1011 aircraft, can deploy the Pegasus XL almost anywhere. By launching from Kwajalein Atoll part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, Northrop Grumman can deliver LINK directly into Swift’s low-inclination orbit close to the equator.
Normally, Swift points to different areas of the sky to observe science targets with its Ultraviolet/Optical and X-ray telescopes. In December 2025, Swift’s operations team at Pennsylvania State University’s Eberly College of Science in University Park began altering the spacecraft’s science strategy to reduce drag and extend Swift’s time above the 185-mile (300-kilometer) mark for as long as possible. Below this point, a boost attempt becomes more difficult. The team replaced around 25% of science targets with spots on the sky that caused Swift to be pointed in the most streamlined position possible.
The December operational changes helped slow Swift’s descent. The team switched entirely to selecting pointing positions that minimized drag. This meant observations with the Ultraviolet/Optical and X-ray telescopes stopped.
Katalyst finished LINK’s integration at its Broomfield, Colorado, facility. The spacecraft is about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, weighs around 880 pounds (400 kilograms), and has three robotic arms and three xenon-fueled thrusters. Each of its two solar arrays span around 20 feet (6 meters).
The Swift team paused observations with the spacecraft’s Burst Alert Telescope. The change reduced the amount of power Swift had been using, allowing the operations team to point the solar panels to the optimal position to further reduce drag. Prior operational changes had already extended Swift’s time above the 185-mile mark until the fall of 2026.
Katalyst completed vibration and thermal vacuum testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. These assessments replicate some of the conditions LINK will experience during launch and in orbit. LINK used the Space Environment Simulator chamber, which Swift also used over 20 years ago.
The Katalyst team arrived with LINK at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Northrop Grumman began installing the satellite into the Pegasus XL rocket inside the Horizontal Integration Facility there.
Northrop Grumman will attach the Pegasus XL to the bottom of its Stargazer, a modified L-1011 aircraft, at NASA Wallops before it departs for the Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. From there, the plane will climb to about 40,000 feet (12,000 meters) and drop the rocket. The Pegasus XL’s three solid rocket motors will fire in sequence and deliver LINK to orbit.
After launch, the Katalyst team will assess LINK’s major systems, including power, navigation, and sensor arrays before it approaches Swift. Engineers will spend several weeks surveying the observatory to assess potential grab points. When LINK has secured Swift, it will fire its own ion thrusters to slowly raise the observatory’s orbit over the course of several months.
The post Timeline appeared first on NASA Science.
The LINK robotic servicing spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space and designed to capture and boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory arrived at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, June 5.
Inside NASA Wallops’ Horizontal Integration Facility, Northrop Grumman engineers will install the satellite into one of the company’s Pegasus XL rockets ahead of launch.
All spacecraft in low Earth orbit experience drag caused by our planet’s atmosphere. As a result, satellites without propulsion systems to counteract this effect gradually lose altitude and fall toward Earth.
Recent increased solar activity magnified the impact of atmospheric drag on Swift, causing it to sink faster than anticipated.
NASA contracted Katalyst to boost the 21-year-old observatory back to a higher altitude, pioneering a new servicing capability for the nation’s spacecraft fleet and allowing Swift to resume science observations.
After loading LINK into the Pegasus XL, Northrop Grumman will attach the rocket to the bottom of Stargazer, the company’s modified L-1011 aircraft.
Stargazer will deploy Pegasus XL from above Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, later this month. The rocket will deliver the LINK spacecraft to an orbit where it can reach Swift.
As activities on the ground have raced to get LINK to Swift, the observatory team has been continuously making Swift’s orientation more aerodynamic to preserve altitude.
Learn more about the Swift mission at:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/
By Jeanette Kazmierczak
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The post Robotic Spacecraft for Swift Boost Mission Arrives at NASA Wallops appeared first on NASA Science.
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