But the Swift spacecraft will almost certainly crash back to Earth, without recovery, before the end of this year. This is where Catalyst comes in. The company’s robotic servicing spacecraft, named Link, will attempt to rendezvous and dock with the Swift satellite, then increase its altitude to give the observatory a new lease on life.
That is, if everything goes according to plan.
Artist’s illustration of Catalyst’s Link spacecraft (above) approaching NASA’s Swift Observatory (below).
Credit: Catalyst Space Technologies
Artist’s illustration of Catalyst’s Link spacecraft (above) approaching NASA’s Swift Observatory (below).
Credit: Catalyst Space Technologies
the deadline is approaching
There are a few things you should know about this venture. First, Swift was never designed for capture or reentry into orbit. Second, this mission is the first time Catalyst will attempt to dock with another satellite in space. And third, NASA gave Catalyst a tight timetable of only nine months to build, test, and launch the rescue mission before Swift’s altitude became too low for a safe rendezvous.
“It’s really technically ambitious,” said Ghonhee Lee, Catalyst’s founder and CEO.
The launch is scheduled for June 1, and there is very little margin for error. By the end of summer or beginning of autumn, Swift will slip below 200 miles (320 kilometers), too low for Catalyst to control its spacecraft. “There’s a lot of drag involved in having two large spacecraft docking together,” Li said. “Originally, we thought we had more time.”
NASA’s goals are twofold: first, to demonstrate a critical capability for the future of space exploration, and second, to save Swift from catastrophic destruction and continue its scientific observations.
“We realized you can’t have a 100 percent guarantee of success on this,” Lee said.
When Arce visited Catalyst in late February, technicians were working at work stations, soldering parts, assembling solar panels, and preparing components for environmental testing. For a traditional government space mission, a project may be in this phase of manufacturing for years before reaching the launch pad.
A company official said, “It’s not as mature as you would expect.” “Keep in mind we started this whole thing about five months ago, so we’re making a lot of progress by those standards.”
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