Swift Boost

NASA has contracted Katalyst Space Technologies to attempt a rendezvous with the agency's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, boosting it to a higher altitude while also extending Swift’s scientific life.

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launched in 2004 to study the universe’s most powerful explosions—gamma-ray bursts—as well as other cosmic objects and events. Swift's altitude gradually decreased since launch due to interaction with the Earth's atmosphere, and recent unanticipated increases in solar activity have accelerated this decay.