NASA Robot Resumes Approach Mission to Swift Telescope After Loss of Control

The LINK space robot, developed by Katalyst Space, is resuming its operations with the goal of raising the orbit of the NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift telescope. After facing issues that resulted in the loss of control of the spacecraft, the team managed to implement a software update to improve its stability.

According to NASA, LINK is now in a position to restart the approach to Swift. The coming days will be dedicated to a series of maneuvers and burns to position both spacecraft in the necessary trajectory for the rendezvous.

Katalyst Space installed an updated flight software version on LINK, which incorporates new attitude control algorithms. This technology was designed to ensure the vehicle's stability using the operational actuators.

This change occurs after the failures that compromised the spacecraft's orientation. With the new system active, engineers can monitor LINK's reaction before proceeding with subsequent stages.

Joint Work Between NASA and Katalyst

NASA and Katalyst continue to collaborate at this stage of the mission. The vehicle's performance will be constantly evaluated as each new movement is executed.

LINK still needs to reach the ideal position relative to Swift, which will require a sequence of orbital adjustments and burns in the coming days. It is important to note that capture has not yet occurred; the robot must complete the approach and reach the correct position for the next phase.

In parallel, the team responsible for Swift is employing a distinct methodology to mitigate drag caused by the Earth's atmosphere. NASA reported that this technique has already managed to decrease the rate at which the observatory loses altitude.

Telescope's Orbital Status

Currently, the telescope is located approximately 216 miles, or 347 kilometers, above the Earth's surface. This condition requires vigilance, as a maneuver intended to raise its orbit would become significantly more complex if it were below about 185 miles, which equals 300 kilometers.

The reduction in drag helps keep Swift above this critical limit while LINK prepares for the rendezvous. The software update constitutes a new attempt to guide LINK toward Swift's path, overcoming previously recorded setbacks. The mission goal remains unchanged: to capture the observatory and transfer it to a higher orbit.

The focus is now on the upcoming maneuvers and burns. If LINK exhibits the expected behavior, the team can gradually proceed toward proximity with the telescope.

olhardigital.com.brAugust 11, 23:27

NASA supports Gravitics project for orbital hangar aiming to accelerate return of cargo to Earth

NASA has selected the space company Gravitics to develop the concept of an orbital hangar. This hangar would be designed to receive vehicles that transport materials from space back to planet Earth. This initiative is part of an award from the Small Business Innovation Research program, in the initial phase scheduled for 2026.

The project was named Multiple-Downmass Hangar and aims to create a structure capable of housing several return vehicles. This would allow cargo collected or produced in orbit to have a more frequent option for delivery to the surface.

The need for this proposal arises due to the growing expectation of more missions returning space samples and materials. In addition to future trips to other celestial bodies, the solution also meets the demands of companies planning to conduct research and manufacturing in the orbital environment.

Traditionally, sample return missions require a spacecraft to travel into space, collect the desired material, and make the journey back. The model conceived by Gravitics proposes to dissociate this need from an exclusive mission, establishing a concentration point for vehicles ready to descend within the orbital environment itself.

The hypothetical structure would have the capacity to accommodate an unspecified number of return vehicles. These equipment would remain in the hangar until the opportune moment to transport their cargo to the surface, which could eliminate the wait for an operation dedicated solely to material recovery.

This idea responds to a gap that becomes more relevant with the expansion of commercial activity beyond Earth. Companies involved in orbital operations might need a practical method to return their results, products, or materials to the planet without depending on a specific mission for each return.

Gravitics already operates in the manufacturing of modules for space stations and other equipment intended for the orbital environment. With NASA's support, the company must now evaluate whether its architecture can offer a more economically advantageous and compatible alternative with a regular cadence of returns.

The contract was granted within the SBIR Phase I of 2026. In this phase, the company needs to prove that the concept has technical merit and that its implementation is feasible, in addition to studying a configuration that could have a lower cost than other ways of transporting cargo back to Earth.

NASA has not yet disclosed the amount allocated to the project, nor has it defined which vehicle model will be used to occupy the hangar and execute the cargo descent. The concept is not limited only to commercial activities in low Earth orbit; the history of space exploration includes 18 missions returning materials from other celestial bodies.

Six of these operations were crewed, covering the Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 missions. The remaining ones were conducted by robotic systems. During these initiatives, samples were brought back from the Moon and the asteroids Itokawa, Ryugu, and Bennu.

Although new projects of this type are expected, the Mars Sample Return initiative has not yet been defined. Simultaneously, the expansion of private activities in space generates another demand for systems capable of transporting materials back to the planet. It is in this context that the orbital hangar proposed by Gravitics gains importance, seeking to gather different vehicles in orbit to offer a higher frequency infrastructure, instead of relying solely on a return operation prepared for a specific cargo.

The American agency's support does not imply that the system is ready to operate. The first phase of the program focuses on verifying the technical functionality of the proposal and whether it achieves the stipulated economic goal. Among the points to be analyzed is the possibility of creating a more accessible system that maintains the capacity to support periodic returns.

The project is still in its initial stage, leaving crucial questions open. The exact quantity of vehicles the hangar can receive and the type of vehicle responsible for transporting the cargo to the surface have not yet been communicated. If the proposal moves forward, the structure could change the organization of space material returns, especially in a scenario where scientific missions and commercial activities demand more recurrent solutions to bring cargo back to Earth.

olhardigital.com.brJuly 29, 05:05

NASA robot intended to save space telescope loses control in orbit

A pioneering initiative by NASA, aimed at extending the lifespan of a space telescope, encountered significant obstacles after the spacecraft designed for the rescue lost orbital control. According to the space agency and the company Katalyst Space, the vehicle began spinning uncontrollably following a sequence of failures, which puts the continuity of the operation at risk.

Mission Objective and Context

The contracted company is working to stabilize the spacecraft using backup systems, awaiting NASA's decision on whether to proceed with the mission normally. This is the first case where the space agency outsources the task of raising the orbit of one of its space telescopes so that it can operate beyond its initially foreseen deadline.

The focus of this mission is the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which was launched in 2004 with the purpose of quickly identifying and directing its instruments toward brief astronomical events, such as gamma-ray bursts. Over the years, the observatory has suffered a gradual loss of altitude due to Earth's residual atmospheric drag.

Launch and Failure Details

Katalyst Space's function is to attach a spacecraft to the telescope and propel it into a higher trajectory, thereby prolonging its scientific value. The LINK spacecraft was launched on July 3rd, transported by a Pegasus rocket manufactured by Northrop Grumman. In the weeks following the launch, teams conducted the vehicle commissioning process, testing all its systems before approaching the Swift telescope.

However, during a specific weekend, the spacecraft began showing difficulties maintaining its orientation and entered uncontrolled rotation. NASA reported that this movement resulted in 'sporadic communications' with the vehicle, which is likely because the antenna stopped pointing at Earth during the rotation.

Technical Issues and Recovery

The agency informed that two of the three reaction wheels, responsible for controlling the spacecraft's direction, failed. Additionally, one of the propulsion systems also presented problems. To try to regain control, engineers began employing an alternative set of thrusters with the aim of reducing the vehicle's rotational speed. In a statement, the team assured that 'we have already started this series of activations and are seeing the intended effect.'

Katalyst Space also communicated to TechCrunch that the operation is ongoing. The company stated: 'This remains an active mission, and we are continuing with plans to find Swift.'

Accelerated Development and Military Interest

Kieran Wilson, the lead researcher for the mission at Katalyst Space, explained that, before the launch, the spacecraft had to be developed in a very short timeframe due to the urgency of raising the telescope's orbit. He commented that 'All of this is challenging and risky,' adding that 'There are many spacecraft that have had much longer development cycles, with much more funding, and that failed for trivial reasons.'

In June, Katalyst Space finalized an investment round worth US$12 million (equivalent to R$61.6 million), led by Fortitude Ventures and Geodesic Capital, to support the mission. In addition to this private contribution, the company also received support from the United States Armed Forces, which express interest in creating vehicles capable of performing maintenance on satellites in orbit or monitoring adversarial spacecraft.