Overview
- LINK was integrated onto Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL at NASA Wallops in mid‑June and is set for an air launch from Kwajalein in late June to chase Swift.
- Mission teams say the effort is urgent because Swift’s low‑Earth orbit has been falling faster than expected and planners estimate the telescope must be reached before it drops below about 300 kilometers.
- Katalyst built LINK in roughly nine months and equipped it with cameras, LiDAR and three robotic arms so the craft can autonomously inspect Swift and attach to transport fixtures the satellite still carries.
- Major risks remain, including autonomous approach and grapple of a satellite not built for servicing, possible crumbling multilayer insulation or debris on capture points, and further space‑weather driven orbital changes that could narrow the window.
- If it works, the mission will extend Swift’s science life without a replacement and mark the first commercial robotic capture of a U.S. government satellite not designed for on‑orbit servicing, showing a new path for future satellite rescue and sustainment.