NASA is preparing to launch a daring mission to save a precious space telescope from plunging back to Earth.
The Swift Observatory – NASA’s ‘multitool’ for studying the cosmos – was launched in 2004 but has been falling rapidly due to intense solar weather.
To save it, the space agency has hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies to boost the tumbling telescope back into a stable orbit.
And the ambitious ‘high-risk, high-reward mission’ could blast off as soon as tomorrow.
The $30 million (£22.7 million) salvage operation will launch a fridge-sized robot into orbit, docking with Swift and gently carrying it out into space.
The rescue
To provide well-rounded coverage and a breadth of insight across various events, we rely on contributions from several staff writers, each bringing their own area of expertise to our publication.
