MARSHALL ISLANDS — NASA contracted Katalyst Space Technologies to elevate the Swift Observatory to a higher orbit after the spacecraft began losing altitude. Katalyst Space Technologies will launch an autonomous robotic spacecraft named Lift from an atoll in the Marshall Islands, using a Pegasus rocket, to boost Swift.

The contract, valued at $30 million, was signed in September of the previous year. NASA ceased all scientific observations originating from Swift in February, turning off all scientific instruments to slow its descent. The Swift Observatory had been losing altitude due to recent intense solar activity.

Lift is a three-armed spacecraft designed to chase, catch, and then raise Swift's orbit. Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space, stated that if the mission is successful, Swift could resume operations by September. The spacecraft is roughly the size of a small kitchen refrigerator and has a 40-foot solar wingspan. Each of its three arms has a reach of just over 3 feet and is equipped with two finger-like pinching grippers.

Shawn Domagal-Goldman, NASA's astrophysics director, noted the ambitious nature of the mission. "I have to be honest. No one thought it was going to be possible. No one thought we would get as far as we've already gotten today." Domagal-Goldman said. NASA science mission chief Nicky Fox explained the necessity of the mission. "If we let Swift reenter, we would lose that telescope. We would lose a lot of capability. We don't currently have the budget to build another one to replace that," Fox said.

It is estimated that Lift will take approximately one month to rendezvous with Swift and another couple of months to raise its orbit from 224 miles to 373 miles. Current estimates indicate that Swift will reach an altitude of 185 miles in October; it must remain above this altitude for the rescue mission to be effective. The Swift Observatory weighs 1.6 tons and was not designed for repair or retrieval. Company officials have stated there is no guarantee the rescue attempt will succeed.

The Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, is designed to quickly turn to capture astronomical events such as gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars. Lee referred to the mission as a new capability for space operations. "This is the first American space robot to go up and do anything like this. NASA has all these big senior observatories ... all of them can benefit from a service like this. So what we're proving with this mission is this is a new play in the playbook that's available," Lee said. The Pegasus rocket launches from an airplane.

Katalyst Space Technologies plans to fly a next-generation robotic rescuer next year. This future spacecraft will be capable of servicing satellites at altitudes up to 22,300 miles. There is also a possibility that the Hubble Space Telescope, which is 36 years old and received repeat servicing during the space shuttle era, could receive a life-extending boost from Katalyst in 2028. Fox acknowledged the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope, stating, "It's a national treasure. People love Hubble."