Overview
- NASA called off the capture attempt after LINK lost reliable attitude control and thruster authority, a failure that ended hopes of boosting Swift to a higher orbit.
- Two science instruments—the X‑ray Telescope and the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope—were restarted in late August to squeeze remaining observations while the Burst Alert Telescope remains offline as engineers attempt repairs.
- LINK nonetheless completed demonstrations by firing its three electric thrusters, deploying robotic arms, adjusting its orbit to within about 7.5 to 9 miles of Swift, and photographing the observatory for engineering analysis.
- Swift lacks onboard propulsion and, because recent strong solar activity has expanded Earth’s upper atmosphere, its orbit is decaying faster and mission models project an uncontrolled reentry between October and December 2026.
- The loss will deprive astronomers of Swift’s unique rapid detection and multiwavelength follow‑up of gamma‑ray bursts, and teams say the data from this failure will shape technical and policy choices for future commercial servicing efforts.