Swift Rescue Mission

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in November 2004, spent two decades in orbit as atmospheric drag steadily eroded its altitude from 600 km to around 400 km. Facing a 50 percent chance of uncontrolled reentry by mid-2026, NASA suspended most of Swift's science operations in February 2026 to reduce drag and buy time for the rescue mission. Katalyst Space Technologies' robotic servicing spacecraft will rendezvous with Swift and raise its orbit to approximately 550 km - the first time a commercial spacecraft will have captured an uncrewed government satellite not originally designed for on-orbit servicing.

Final flight of the Pegasus XL, using the last vehicle in Northrop's inventory, and the rocket's first flight since 2021. The air-launched vehicle was chosen because Swift's 20.6° inclination orbit is difficult to reach from conventional US ground launch sites.