Last mentioned: Jul 6, 2026
Mission in Progress
As of the article publication, Link is in orbit and beginning the weekslong process of rendezvous and preparation to boost Swift's altitude.
Launch from the Pacific
At 4:36 a.m. EDT, the Pegasus XL is dropped from the L-1011 at 41,000 feet and ignites, placing the Link satellite into orbit to begin its pursuit of Swift.
Mission assembly complete
Katalyst’s Link spacecraft is built and ready for launch, marking 10 months from contract award.
Mission assembly complete
Katalyst’s Link spacecraft is built and ready for launch, marking 10 months from contract award.
Satellite Integration and Transport
The Link satellite is encapsulated in the Pegasus XL payload fairing at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, then flown aboard an L-1011 to Kwajalein Atoll.
Katalyst wins $30M contract
NASA awards Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract to build and launch the Link servicing spacecraft.
Katalyst wins $30M contract
NASA awards Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract to build and launch the Link servicing spacecraft.
NASA Awards Rescue Contract
NASA selects Katalyst Space Technologies from a competitive field to build and launch a satellite to boost the Swift observatory’s orbit.
NASA solicits rescue proposals
NASA asks three companies for concepts to save Swift, requiring a mission ready in under a year.
NASA solicits rescue proposals
NASA asks three companies for concepts to save Swift, requiring a mission ready in under a year.
Swift Observatory launched
NASA’s Swift gamma-ray burst mission launched into a 585 km orbit, designed without thrusters.
Swift Observatory launched
NASA’s Swift gamma-ray burst mission launched into a 585 km orbit, designed without thrusters.
NASA’s Swift observatory, facing imminent orbital decay, gets a lifeline as Katalyst’s Link satellite launches after a record nine-month development. The mission pioneers commercial satellite life extension for a government science asset.
NASA is launching a pioneering $30M robotic mission with startup Katalyst Space to save the 22-year-old Swift gamma-ray observatory from orbital decay. The first US satellite servicing attempt will raise Swift’s orbit from 224 to 373 miles, setting a precedent for extending Hubble and on-orbit maintenance.
Space startup Katalyst Space Technologies, founded in 2020, beat established players to win a $30 million NASA contract. In under a year, it built the Link spacecraft to rescue the $500 million Swift Observatory—a bold demonstration of how agile startups can outpace traditional aerospace in complex government missions.
NASA has contracted startup Katalyst Space Technologies to save the $500 million Swift Observatory from burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. The $30 million mission, developed in just 10 months, involves an autonomous spacecraft with robotic arms that will dock with Swift and boost its orbit—a first for a science satellite in low-Earth orbit.