American companies Cambrian Works and Katalyst Space Technologies have been awarded NASA contracts worth $150,000 each to conduct conceptual research. Its goal is to study the possibility of raising the orbit of the Swift telescope.
The Swift telescope was launched in 2004, and it’s designed to study gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy events in the Universe. The spacecraft is in Earth orbit. Due to the braking effect created by the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, its altitude gradually decreases. The rate of decline has accelerated significantly in recent years, caused by increased solar activity.
Since Swift has no engines, the telescope cannot counteract the process of falling out of orbit. If at the time of launch it was in orbit at an altitude of 600 km, now it has decreased to 450 km. If the current pace continues, Swift will burn up in the atmosphere in just a few years.
The purpose of the study commissioned by NASA is to investigate the possibility of extending Swift’s operation by raising its orbit altitude, as well as to conduct an economic analysis of whether such a mission would be more cost-effective than replacing it with a new observatory. It will be conducted as part of Phase III of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This approach will enable NASA to more quickly explore available options for raising Swift’s orbit, which is particularly important given the speed at which it is declining.
NASA will also collaborate with Starfish Space to analyze the possibility of raising Swift’s orbit using assets developed as part of the SSPICY (Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability) demonstration mission. Its purpose is to create a device for studying several non-functioning satellites in low Earth orbit.
It is worth noting that NASA currently has no specific plans to rescue Swift and may still simply allow it to burn up in the atmosphere. NASA is exploring the possibility of raising Swift’s orbit to support innovation in the US space industry, while gaining a more complete understanding of the available options, technical feasibility, and associated risks.
It should be noted that NASA had previously collaborated with SpaceX to explore the possibility of raising the Hubble telescope’s orbit. However, the organization ultimately abandoned these plans.
According to NASA
