Story perspectives

NASA Plans $30M Rescue for Inactive Swift Observatory

3/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has been inactive for over a month due to orbital decline, prompting NASA to consider a commercial rescue.
Swift, operational since 2004, detects gamma-ray bursts and rapidly locates them for follow-up.
NASA estimates Swift's operational costs at about $500 million, making it a plausible target for rescue.
NASA awarded Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract to develop a satellite to stabilize Swift's orbit.

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Story summary

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has been inactive for over a month due to orbital decline, prompting NASA to consider a commercial rescue.
Swift, operational since 2004, detects gamma-ray bursts and rapidly locates them for follow-up.
NASA estimates Swift's operational costs at about $500 million, making it a plausible target for rescue.
NASA awarded Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract to develop a satellite to stabilize Swift's orbit.