NASA satellite rescue mission fails, US space agency announces

The Swift telescope, launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, was targeted for rescue by an unprecedented $30 million mission. The unmanned spacecraft, developed by American startup Katalyst, was launched on July 3. However, on July 28, Katalyst reported the spacecraft was in an out-of-control spin for 72 hours, experiencing multiple problems including a loss of communications.

Katalyst cited "ongoing attitude control issues" as the reason for calling off the mission. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that while this was not the desired outcome, the mission was still valuable for advancing satellite servicing capabilities. The spacecraft will still attempt to reach the Swift telescope to provide lessons for future missions, despite the expectation that Swift will likely re-enter Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate later this year.