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Mission To Boost NASAs Swift Launches From Marshall Islands

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"That there will not be a manned flight to Mars in 2028, nor in 2031, and probably not for twenty years after that."

"I'd say that [2040] is an audacious goal for us to meet."

"I’m thinking somewhere between 2040 and 2050."

"Humans are unlikely to step foot on Mars until the 2040s/2050s at the earliest, and there’ll never be a significant human settlement there because Mars is basically uninhabitable."

"Since nothing ever seems to go exactly according to plan, I'd expect something more like 2040."

"Space agencies hoping to send crewed missions to Mars by the early 2030s will either have to double down on their budgets or settle for less ambitious missions."

"And if we persevere on this pathway, we can reach Mars itself before 2035."

"We want to achieve a Mars landing in 2033."

"Humans will set out for Mars in the 2029 or 2031 windows, most likely."

"I think that the first human mission to Mars will take place about 2030, even though it is not currently on NASA’s schedule or any other space agency."

"Human landings [on Mars] may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely."

Will humans be sent to Mars before 2036?

A rescue spacecraft called LINK, built by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies under a $30 million NASA contract, launched Friday from the Marshall Islands to attempt to save NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by raising it back into a stable orbit.

A rescue spacecraft called LINK, built by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies under a $30 million NASA contract, launched Friday from the Marshall Islands to attempt to save NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by raising it back into a stable orbit.

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts has been losing altitude faster than expected, with recent solar activity accelerating its descent. Without intervention, the telescope was predicted to reenter Earth's atmosphere by October.

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts has been losing altitude faster than expected, with recent solar activity accelerating its descent. Without intervention, the telescope was predicted to reenter Earth's atmosphere by October.

LINK was released from Northrop Grumman's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft at 40,000 feet and carried into orbit by a Pegasus XL rocket, marking the final flight of the Pegasus XL before its retirement. The 940-pound spacecraft is equipped with three robotic arms and ion thrusters.

LINK was released from Northrop Grumman's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft at 40,000 feet and carried into orbit by a Pegasus XL rocket, marking the final flight of the Pegasus XL before its retirement. The 940-pound spacecraft is equipped with three robotic arms and ion thrusters.

Katalyst designed, built and tested LINK in roughly eight to nine months after NASA awarded the contract in September 2025.

Katalyst designed, built and tested LINK in roughly eight to nine months after NASA awarded the contract in September 2025.

After several weeks of systems checks, LINK will spend about a month approaching Swift before using its robotic arms to secure the observatory. It will then fire ion thrusters to gradually raise Swift's orbit from roughly 220 miles (354 km) to its original altitude of about 370 miles (595 km).

After several weeks of systems checks, LINK will spend about a month approaching Swift before using its robotic arms to secure the observatory. It will then fire ion thrusters to gradually raise Swift's orbit from roughly 220 miles (354 km) to its original altitude of about 370 miles (595 km).

Swift has detected more than 2,000 gamma-ray burst sources since launch and has expanded its observations to include comets, black holes and gravitational waves. A successful rescue could extend the observatory's operational life by approximately a decade.

Swift has detected more than 2,000 gamma-ray burst sources since launch and has expanded its observations to include comets, black holes and gravitational waves. A successful rescue could extend the observatory's operational life by approximately a decade.

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A rescue spacecraft called LINK, built by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies under a $30 million NASA contract, launched July 3 from the Marshall Islands. The mission came after multiple delays due to weather and a software issue.

A rescue spacecraft called LINK, built by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies under a $30 million NASA contract, launched July 3 from the Marshall Islands. The mission came after multiple delays due to weather and a software issue.

Katalyst designed, built and tested LINK in roughly eight to nine months after NASA awarded the contract in September 2025. NASA's astrophysics division director Shawn Domagal-Goldman described the mission as "high-risk, high-reward."

Katalyst designed, built and tested LINK in roughly eight to nine months after NASA awarded the contract in September 2025. NASA's astrophysics division director Shawn Domagal-Goldman described the mission as "high-risk, high-reward."

After several weeks of systems checks, LINK will spend about a month approaching Swift before using its robotic arms to secure the observatory. It will then fire ion thrusters to gradually raise Swift's orbit from roughly 220 miles to its original altitude of about 370 miles.

After several weeks of systems checks, LINK will spend about a month approaching Swift before using its robotic arms to secure the observatory. It will then fire ion thrusters to gradually raise Swift's orbit from roughly 220 miles to its original altitude of about 370 miles.

The Swift Observatory rescue mission is exactly the kind of bold, forward-thinking investment that keeps American science at the cutting edge. A $30 million contract to save a telescope that would cost hundreds of millions to replace is just smart governance. Swift's unmatched ability to pivot rapidly toward cosmic events makes it irreplaceable for understanding gamma-ray bursts, black holes and gravitational waves.

The Swift Observatory rescue mission is exactly the kind of bold, forward-thinking investment that keeps American science at the cutting edge. A $30 million contract to save a telescope that would cost hundreds of millions to replace is just smart governance. Swift's unmatched ability to pivot rapidly toward cosmic events makes it irreplaceable for understanding gamma-ray bursts, black holes and gravitational waves.

NASA scrambled this rescue together because the 2024 solar maximum was stronger than predicted and caught the agency flat-footed with no contingency plan. Swift was only designed to last two years, and NASA never planned for an orbital boost decades later. Rushing a nine-month spacecraft build on a shoestring $30 million budget with a rocket pulled out of storage is a gamble, not a triumph of planning.

NASA scrambled this rescue together because the 2024 solar maximum was stronger than predicted and caught the agency flat-footed with no contingency plan. Swift was only designed to last two years, and NASA never planned for an orbital boost decades later. Rushing a nine-month spacecraft build on a shoestring $30 million budget with a rocket pulled out of storage is a gamble, not a triumph of planning.

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NASA Launches Mission to Rescue Falling Telescope

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The Swift Observatory rescue mission is a forward-thinking investment that aims to keep American science at the cutting edge. A $30 million contract to save a telescope that would fall back to Earth anyway and cost hundreds of millions to replace is a high-reward, comparatively low-cost intervention. Swift's unmatched ability to pivot rapidly toward cosmic events makes it irreplaceable for understanding gamma-ray bursts, black holes and gravitational waves. It's worth saving.

The Swift Observatory rescue mission is a forward-thinking investment that aims to keep American science at the cutting edge. A $30 million contract to save a telescope that would fall back to Earth anyway and cost hundreds of millions to replace is a high-reward, comparatively low-cost intervention. Swift's unmatched ability to pivot rapidly toward cosmic events makes it irreplaceable for understanding gamma-ray bursts, black holes and gravitational waves. It's worth saving.

NASA

NASA's Swift rescue mission highlights years of inadequate planning that left a vital observatory drifting toward destruction. Relying on an unprecedented robotic rendezvous with a telescope never designed for servicing, after rushing a startup-built spacecraft from contract to launch in under a year, is a risky experiment born of necessity. Success would be welcome, but it doesn't erase the failures that made such a gamble necessary.

NASA's Swift rescue mission highlights years of inadequate planning that left a vital observatory drifting toward destruction. Relying on an unprecedented robotic rendezvous with a telescope never designed for servicing, after rushing a startup-built spacecraft from contract to launch in under a year, is a risky experiment born of necessity. Success would be welcome, but it doesn't erase the failures that made such a gamble necessary.

NASA Launches Mission to Rescue Falling Swift Telescope

NASA Launches Mission to Rescue Falling Swift Telescope

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NASA Launches Mission to Rescue Falling Swift Telescope

NASA Launches Mission to Rescue Falling Swift Telescope

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