Arizona startup attempts to rescue NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

Warrants/Escape — New Mexico — reported 2026-06-21

SUMMARY

An Arizona-based startup is attempting to rescue a NASA space telescope that is expected to de-orbit by October.

KEY FACTS

• Incident type: Warrants/Escape
• Location: New Mexico
• Date reported: 2026-06-21
• Suspect: not stated

REPORTED DETAILS

• NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has spent more than two decades scanning the universe for gamma-ray bursts.
• Atmospheric drag, intensified by recent solar activity, is pulling Swift dangerously close to Earth.
• The observatory will soon burn up in Earth's atmosphere if nothing is done.
• Katalyst Space Technologies' robotic servicing spacecraft, called LINK, is designed to rendezvous with Swift, capture it, and raise it to a safer orbit.
• LINK was developed in 250 days, a remarkable feat of rapid commercial innovation in space.