Over the weekend, Katalyst’s LINK servicing spacecraft experienced issues with attitude control, causing the spacecraft to spin and resulting in sporadic communications. Preliminary investigation shows that two of LINK’s three reaction wheels currently are not operable, and there is some loss of functionality in its cold gas thruster system. LINK is designed to approach, capture, and boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbital altitude.
LINK’s other major subsystems are functioning as expected. The spacecraft remains power positive and in communication with the Katalyst team.
The team is working to stop LINK’s spin over the next few days, using the spacecraft’s electric propulsion thrusters. After reestablishing stable attitude and further investigating spacecraft status, Katalyst plans to update LINK’s guidance, navigation, and control to accommodate the spacecraft’s new configuration. Working closely with NASA teams, they will then evaluate revised plans to approach and capture Swift, depending on safety of the approach and LINK’s health.
Learn more from Katalyst, and monitor NASA’s Swift blog for continued updates:
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift
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