NASA plans robotic mission to save ageing space telescope
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NASA is set to launch a daring robotic rescue mission, a long-shot bid to prevent one of its ageing telescopes from vanishing into dust. If successful, the effort could pave the way for giving other satellites a second life. The operation is set to last several months, kicking off with the launch of a robot designed to rescue the Swift space telescope that’s currently falling towards Earth. Without intervention, Swift is expected to soon burn up in the atmosphere. The rescue spacecraft developed by the US startup Katalyst was slated to lift off on Tuesday at 1023 GMT (3:23pm PKT) from a Pacific Ocean atoll aboard a small rocket named Pegasus. But NASA postponed the launch, citing unfavourable weather conditions, and set the next launch attempt for “no earlier than Wednesday, July 1” at 0943 GMT (2:43pm PKT). The rocket-propelled launch vehicle will not take off from a launch pad. Instead, it will be released from a jet. “Everything about this mission is so crazy,” said NASA astrophysicist Regina Caputo with a laugh during an interview with AFP. After it reaches an orbit near that of the telescope, the robot must locate Swift across the vastness of space. The aim is then for the robot to manoeuvre around the telescope and latch on with three movable arms. It will then vie to tow Swift into a stable orbit over the course of at least a month, rescuing it from destruction by moving it about 300 kilometres higher. “This is a lot of firsts stacked on top of each other,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, the director of NASA’s astrophysics division, during a recent call with reporters. “I’m just deeply thankful that we’re even giving this a go.” ‘Special’ telescope The idea of such a rescue might seem odd at first glance. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory telescope was launched in 2004 and was originally designed for a two-year mission. The device was intended to study gamma-ray bursts, which Caputo called “the most energetic things that happen in the universe.” She likened it