Here’s how engineers plan to save the satellite sent to save NASA’s Swift mission
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Katalyst Space Technologies is working to recover their Link satellite after it spun out of control during a mission to rescue NASA's Swift gamma-ray observatory. Two of three reaction wheels failed and cold gas thrusters malfunctioned, leaving the spacecraft tumbling in orbit. Engineers are now using the satellite's plasma engines — normally used for orbit-raising but equipped with two-axis gimbals — to gradually slow the spin. The mission, worth $30 million, is the first commercial satellite servicing contract NASA has awarded, and time is running out as Swift's orbit continues to decay.
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