Tag: Katalyst Space Technologies
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Katalyst Link Spacecraft Hit by Attitude Control Failure
Is the Katalyst Link Spacecraft Still Capable of Rebooting Swift? Two of three reaction wheels have failed on Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft — and with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory sitting at approximately 350 kilometers altitude and falling, the margin for error is shrinking fast. In a July 28 social media update, Katalyst confirmed…
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Pegasus XL set to air launch Swift Boost Mission to save NASA space telescope
In its first mission since 2021, a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket is scheduled to be air-launched from the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Stargazer. Riding aboard Pegasus XL is NASA’s Swift Boost Mission, a mission utilizing a robotic servicing spacecraft from Katalyst Space Technologies to raise, or “boost,” the orbital altitude of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.…
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NASA’s $30M Swift Rescue Launches on Pegasus XL’s Final Flight
Can NASA’s $30M LINK Satellite Really Save the Swift Observatory? At 4:36 a.m. EDT on July 3, 2026, a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket completed its 45th — and final — mission, air-launching Katalyst Space Technologies’ LINK satellite from the L-1011 Stargazer carrier aircraft above the Marshall Islands. The target: NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory,…
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Rescue mission for NASA’s $500 million space telescope passes key testing milestone
Engineers from Katalyst stabilize their Link robotic servicing spacecraft as it moves into a vibration chamber at NASA Goddard on April 15, 2026. The vibration chamber simulated the intense shaking Link will experience during launch. Image: NASA/Sophia Roberts A mission to prevent a $500 million NASA space observatory from meeting a fiery demise just passed…
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NASA Awards $30 Million to Katalyst to Save Swift Observatory with First-of-Its-Kind Docking Mission
NASA has selected Arizona-based startup Katalyst Space Technologies to carry out a short-notice mission aimed at saving the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a $500 million space telescope in low-Earth orbit that has been gradually losing altitude. The U.S. space agency on Wednesday announced a $30 million contract for Katalyst to deploy a modified version of…