NASA to Launch Swift Observatory Orbit Boost Mission in June

NASA and Katalyst Space are preparing to launch a mission no earlier than June 30, 2026, to raise the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. A robotic satellite named LINK will grapple the observatory and slowly lift it to a higher altitude, preventing the spacecraft from burning up in Earth's atmosphere later this year.

What is the Swift Boost Mission?

The mission centers on extending the functional life of an established asset. Launching from Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket will carry the LINK spacecraft into orbit. LINK, built by Katalyst Space, will rendezvous with Swift, secure it with robotic arms, and gradually raise its altitude over several months.

S. Bradley Cenko, Swift principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, emphasized the observatory's enduring utility.