Overview
- NASA suspended most slewing and science activities on February 11 and placed Swift in a drag-minimizing orientation, keeping its Burst Alert Telescope active for gamma-ray burst detections.
- Swift’s orbit has decayed from roughly 585 kilometers to below about 400 kilometers, and mission controllers aim to keep it above ~300 kilometers to enable a rescue rendezvous.
- NASA selected Katalyst Space Technologies to mount a reboost using an air-launched Pegasus XL, currently targeted for June 2026 to rendezvous, dock, and raise Swift’s orbit.
- The planned maneuver seeks to return the spacecraft toward ~600 kilometers, which could add years of service and demonstrate a commercial on-orbit servicing capability.
- Without a successful reboost, forecasts point to a likely 2026 reentry, and media reports place the Katalyst contract’s value at about $30 million.