NASA aims to save a sinking space telescope with a rendezvous in orbit
NASA plans to send a rendezvous mission, called Swift Boost, to raise the orbit of the aging Swift space telescope, which is slowly sinking and at risk of burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The mission aims to extend the telescope's operational life and continue its observations of gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena.
Background
- NASA's aging Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observatory, launched in 2021, is slowly losing altitude due to atmospheric drag and will burn up within about three years if unassisted.<br>- IXPE studies polarized X-rays from extreme cosmic objects like black holes and neutron stars; its unique data complements larger observatories such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope.<br>- The agency is weighing a first-of-its-kind mission extension: a "boost" maneuver in which another spacecraft would rendezvous with IXPE and raise its orbit, delaying its re-entry and extending its useful science life.<br>- This is novel because IXPE was not designed to be serviced; executing a robotic docking/boost would be a technical and operational milestone for NASA, with potential implications for managing end-of-life for future satellites and reducing orbital debris.