Nasa launches robotic mission to save space telescope

AF Agence France-PresseSouth China Morning PostFiled 2026-07-03 · 19:01 GMTLean · Center-RightRead · 1 min

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Briefing Summary

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NASA has launched a $30 million robotic mission to rescue the aging Swift space telescope, which is currently falling towards Earth. The unprecedented operation, expected to take several months, aims to prevent the telescope from burning up in the atmosphere. The robot, developed by American start-up Katalyst, was launched on Friday from a Pacific Ocean atoll via a Pegasus rocket deployed from an airplane. If successful, this mission could establish a precedent for extending the lifespan of other satellites. The launch, initially delayed by weather and technical issues, finally occurred after being rescheduled from Tuesday.

Confidence 0.85Sources 1Claims 5Entities 7

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Model · rule-based

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Human Interest

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Key claims

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The spacecraft was developed by American start-up Katalyst and launched by a small rocket named Pegasus.

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The robot's launch was postponed due to weather and technical issues before taking place on Friday at 0836 GMT.

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The mission is an unprecedented US$30 million effort involving sending a robot to rescue the Swift space telescope.

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Nasa launched a robotic mission on Friday to prevent the Swift space telescope from burning up in the atmosphere.

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If successful, the mission could pave the way for giving other satellites a second life.

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Full report

1 min read · 156 words

Nasa launched a robotic mission on Friday to try to prevent one of its ageing telescopes from burning up in the atmosphere, a complicated operation expected to last several months.The unprecedented US$30 million effort involves sending a robot to rescue the Swift space telescope that is currently falling towards Earth.If successful, the mission could pave the way for giving other satellites a second life.Initially scheduled for Tuesday, the robot’s launch was postponed due to weather and then technical issues. It finally took place on Friday at 0836 GMT from an atoll in the Pacific Ocean.Developed by American start-up Katalyst, the spacecraft was launched by a small rocket named Pegasus, itself launched from an aeroplane.The Swift spacecraft is unwrapped at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, in an image released in July 2004. Photo: Nasa via AFPOnce it reaches an orbit close to that of Swift, the robot will deploy its solar panels and perform a series of checks.

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