NASA concludes LINK role without Swift boost

NASA and Katalyst Space agreed to scale back the LINK mission, so the spacecraft will no longer try to grab or boost Swift.

NASA formally concluded its involvement in the LINK mission, and the Swift boost status closed without raising orbit.

Swift was launched in November 2004 and is in low Earth orbit, at around 185 miles (300 kilometers).

Katalyst Space, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, was contracted by NASA through the Small Business Innovation Research program and had around one year to take a satellite through design, construction, testing and launch.

The LINK spacecraft has a July 2026 launch date, with Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands listed as the launch site and a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL selected by Katalyst.

LINK reached space but experienced intermittent communications losses and issues with orientation control.

Its specifications included a xenon-powered propulsion system and three robotic arms, intended to widen the safe locations where LINK could grapple Swift.

A Katalyst Space milestone is the first commercial space robot, while the LINK spacecraft milestone involved performing technology demonstrations.

The mission shows NASA using Small Business Innovation Research funding and a contract with Katalyst Space to support a commercial space robot and technology demonstrations.

For readers tracking the lunar industry, the outcome is relevant because the spacecraft reached space but had communications losses and orientation-control problems, while the Swift grapple and boost ended without raising orbit.