NASA Launches Robot Rescue Mission to Save Swift Telescope From Burning Up in Atmosphere

Google News Top—NASA is launching an unprecedented robotic rescue mission to boost the aging Swift space telescope out of its decaying orbit before it re-enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up. The 'daring' mission, launching June 30, involves maneuvering a spacecraft to physically assist the telescope — a kind of in-orbit emergency tow. Swift has operated for over two decades and has been instrumental in detecting gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy phenomena; losing it would leave a gap in observational coverage. If the mission succeeds, it would demonstrate a new model for extending the life of aging space assets without launching replacements.

• Google News Top — The rescue launch is scheduled for June 30 to catch the telescope before orbital decay becomes irreversible.
• France 24 — NASA robot rescue mission sets sights on a space telescope plummeting to Earth
• ScienceAlert — The mission is described as a 'daring' in-orbit rescue rather than a standard satellite servicing operation.
• Google News Top — NASA races to save Swift telescope from falling back to Earth with daring rescue mission
• CBS News — The mission would be unprecedented — no prior rescue operation has attempted this kind of orbital boost for an aging telescope.