The Swift space mission was launched in 2004 with a goal to detect high-energy Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Since then, this US, UK and Italian project has detected around 100 bursts every year, many of which are in the very distant universe. They are thought to be due to merging neutron stars or very massive stars exploding to become a neutron star or black hole.
Armagh astronomer Professor Gavin Ramsay was at University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory at the time of launch and well remembers the excitement (and stress!) of seeing the launch from a remote video link. The first successful detection was the culmination of many years’ work from many hundreds of scientists, engineers and software specialists. The GOTO all-sky survey, of which Armagh is a founding partner, has detected the optical counterpart of many GRBs discovered by Swift.
It’s pretty remarkable that Swift is still orbiting the Earth more than 20 years after launch. However, since Swift was launched into a low Earth orbit, atmospheric drag has caused the satellite’s orbit to shrink, with the satellite predicted to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere later this year.
However, last year, NASA came up with a cunning plan to save Swift from burning up and ending the mission. NASA worked closely with Katalyst Space to prepare to send a smaller satellite to Swift and then provide a boost to shift the satellite to a higher orbit, which would allow many more years of discovering GRBs. This is the first time that such a boosting mission will have been launched.
The launch is expected to take place on June 27th when a Lockheed Tristar plane will take a Pegasus rocket to high altitude, where it will be sent to meet the Swift spacecraft.
See here for details of how to view the launch: https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8045/
More details from: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/swift-boost-mission/
Northrop Grumman’s Stargazer took off Thursday, June 18, 2026, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The modified L-1011 aircraft carried the company’s Pegasus XL rocket hosting LINK, a robotic servicing spacecraft from Katalyst Space. LINK will launch from the air-deployed Pegasus XL later this month on a mission to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
NASA/Jeanette Kazmierczak
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