NASA is set to launch a daring robotic rescue mission on Tuesday in a high-stakes bid to prevent one of its ageing telescopes from vanishing into dust. If successful, the operation could pioneer a new era for extending the lifespan of satellites.
The mission, expected to last several months, will begin with the launch of a rescue robot designed to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, reports AFP.
Without intervention, the telescope, which is currently falling towards Earth, is expected to burn up in the atmosphere.
The rescue spacecraft, developed by the US startup Katalyst, is scheduled to lift off on Tuesday at 1023 GMT from a Pacific Ocean atoll. In an unconventional manoeuvre, the Pegasus rocket carrying the robot will be released from a jet rather than a traditional launch pad.
“Everything about this mission is so crazy,” NASA astrophysicist Regina Caputo said during an interview with AFP.
A ‘special’ mission
The Swift telescope was launched in 2004 for what was originally intended to be a two-year mission to study gamma-ray bursts. Caputo described these bursts as “the most energetic things that happen in the universe,” likening them to a “supercharged version of a supernova”.
The device was placed in low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 600 kilometres to maintain constant communication with researchers. However, because it lacks its own propulsion, it has been affected by atmospheric drag.
This phenomenon is exacerbated when the Sun is active, causing the Earth’s atmosphere to expand and satellites to lose altitude.
Despite its age, the telescope remains in high demand and cannot be immediately replaced. “We decided, yeah, we want to go save this one this time, because of how special it is,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, the director of NASA’s astrophysics division.
The ’50-50′ gamble
The rescue robot, named LINK, faces significant technical hurdles. Once it reaches an orbit near the telescope, it must locate Swift in the vastness of space, manoeuvre around it, and latch on using three movable arms.
The goal is to tow the telescope approximately 300 kilometres higher into a stable orbit over the course of at least a month.
Engineers face the added challenge of not having a clear picture of the back of the telescope where the robot must attach. Caputo projected the chances of success at “maybe 50-50”.
The mission is projected to cost $30 million, a fraction of the telescope’s original $250 million price tag. Beyond saving Swift, the project could revolutionise spacecraft management.
Robert Lamontagne, a vice-president at Katalyst, said the mission could represent the “start of a new model” to “refuel, reposition, repurpose, repair, and even upgrade satellites,” even those never originally designed for such interventions.
