NASA’s historic satellite rescue mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was delayed on 2 July 2026 due to a Pegasus XL rocket deployment fault after the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft took off from Kwajalein Atoll. The LINK spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space, remains grounded as operators review data to determine the next launch attempt. This marks the first private-sector effort to rescue a US government-owned satellite, aiming to prevent Swift’s uncontrolled reentry by October 2026. The 1,470 kg observatory, degraded by solar storms and atmospheric drag, requires LINK’s robotic arms to grapple and boost it to a safer orbit. No new launch date has been announced pending technical resolution.