NASA Formally Cancels Commercial Boost Mission for Swift Space Observatory
NASA astrophysics division has announced the formal cancellation of plans to send a commercial robotic spacecraft to boost the decaying orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Operating since 2004, the gamma-ray burst monitoring satellite has experienced increased atmospheric drag caused by solar cycle peaks.
NASA astrophysics division has announced the formal cancellation of plans to send a commercial robotic spacecraft to boost the decaying orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Operating since 2004, the gamma-ray burst monitoring satellite has experienced increased atmospheric drag caused by solar cycle peaks The space & astronomy details above are what the Ars Technica report is actually claiming — not a full spec sheet.
NASA Formally Cancels Commercial Boost Mission for Swift Space Observatory. Confirm timing, pricing, and availability with Ars Technica before treating this as shipping news.
Tech Bytes is keeping a standalone URL for this space & astronomy story so it can be cited apart from the daily pulse. The claims in the lede are attributed to Ars Technica; numbers, dates, and product names should be checked there.
Get Tech Pulse Daily in Your Inbox
Join 45,000+ engineers, founders, and tech leaders receiving high-signal daily breakdowns directly from major publishers.
Zero spam. Unsubscribe anytime in one click.
Although preliminary proposals evaluated commercial space tugs to elevate the spacecraft altitude, agency reviews concluded that technical risks and costs outweighed the benefits compared to funding upcoming space telescopes.
Swift will continue scientific observations until atmospheric friction forces a controlled de-orbit in the late 2020s.