leading specialist outlet; full technical context on Swift's orbital situation and the LINK servicing mission
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Space.com · United States · NASA's Swift rescue mission scrubbed by weather on June 30; rescheduled for July 1
Explains that Swift had already reduced science operations to conserve resources ahead of the boost; NASA assessed a 90% probability of re-entry before end of 2026 without intervention. LINK is roughly refrigerator-sized, equipped with three ion engines, three robotic arms, and a sensor/thruster suite. The $30 million contract was awarded to Katalyst Space in September 2025 under NASA's SBIR Phase III program. LINK would be the first commercial spacecraft to dock with a government satellite not designed for docking or on-orbit servicing.
“Without a successful boost, NASA assessed a 90% probability of Swift re-entering Earth's atmosphere before end of 2026.”