NASA awards Katalyst $30M to robotically boost the Swift observatory's decaying orbit

Katalyst Space/LINK

NASA picked Katalyst Space Technologies for a $30M small-business contract to send a robotic spacecraft to Swift, a 2004 gamma-ray-burst telescope whose orbit was sinking faster than expected because of high solar activity. It would be the first time a commercial robot captured an uncrewed government satellite not designed for servicing.

• Award under NASA's SBIR Phase III programme, managed by the Space Technology Mission Directorate.
• Orbit boost targeted for spring 2026, less than a year after award.
• Cheaper than building a replacement observatory, NASA said.