NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia on 4 November, ending a science mission of almost 22 years after a planned orbit-raising rescue was abandoned. Most of the spacecraft was expected to burn up, although some components may have survived. No damage or injuries were reported. Katalyst Space’s LINK servicing spacecraft could not capture and boost Swift after developing attitude-control problems.
Swift launched in 2004 with three telescopes to study gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic events. Increased solar activity accelerated the decay of its orbit, prompting NASA to seek a reboost that would extend the mission. The agency and Katalyst called off the capture and boost plan in August, but LINK was still intended to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations to demonstrate servicing capabilities.
LINK launched on 3 July from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket carried aloft by the Stargazer aircraft. The Katalyst-built vehicle was designed to grapple and tow Swift into a higher orbit. Although it did not complete that task, the mission was intended to test commercial robotic servicing technology in orbit.