Katalyst Space has confirmed that problems with its LINK spacecraft have delayed its attempt to rescue NASA's Swift observatory, with rendezvous now targeted for the end of August.

Katalyst disclosed the delay in an update on the spinning spacecraft. Engineers used a thruster to cut LINK's rotation rate from 9 degrees per second to approximately 4 degrees per second, with further burns planned.

Katalyst and NASA are also developing a new attitude controller suited to the spacecraft's reduced capabilities. Engineers are determining which systems remain usable and testing their plans in a simulator before trying them on the vehicle in orbit.

The trouble has pushed the targeted rendezvous to the end of August. LINK is supposed to sidle up to Swift, survey it, grapple the observatory, and carry it to a higher orbit. For now, however, Katalyst says: "We're focused on stabilizing the spacecraft and restoring core system functionality." Any rendezvous attempt depends on that work succeeding.

LINK launched earlier this month, less than a year after NASA awarded Katalyst Space the contract for a rescue mission. The spacecraft encountered problems during commissioning before going into a spin over the weekend. Earlier this week, Katalyst reported that two of the three reaction wheels, used to control LINK's attitude, were inoperable, but the team was working to stabilize the vehicle using its electric propulsion thrusters.

Time is running short. Swift is expected to enter the Earth's atmosphere in the coming months. The observatory has enjoyed a prodigiously long life and far exceeded its primary mission, but its orbit is decaying and it cannot raise itself. LINK's success could add years to Swift's operational lifetime.

In January, almost all of NASA's models predicted that Swift would re-enter by the summer of 2026. Most science operations were paused in February to buy more time. More recent predictions indicate that it could dip below 300 km, the altitude beneath which raising its orbit becomes more difficult, around November.

Katalyst must now stabilize LINK, secure NASA's approval for its revised plans, and reach Swift before the observatory sinks too low for a practical rescue. ®