NASA's robot rescue of the Swift space telescope launches June 30

NASA is launching an unprecedented robot rescue mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a space telescope that has been studying gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows for over twenty years. According to Boing Boing, the Swift Observatory uses three specialized telescopes to observe some of the universe's most violent and energetic phenomena across gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical wavelengths. This marks the first time NASA has attempted to retrieve a falling satellite using a robotic servicing vehicle, representing a new frontier in orbital rescue and space sustainability.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton