NASA紧急启动任务，利用Katalyst Space Technologies的Link航天器拦截因近期太阳风暴导致轨道衰减至224英里的Swift天文台，计划将其轨道提升约150英里，以避免今年内大气层焚毁并延长其使用寿命。Link配备三臂抓取机构，将与缺乏推进系统的Swift对接并进行轨道抬升，技术难度极大。
证据包尚未生成
Engineers from Katalyst Space Technologies testing Link. | Image: NASA/Scott Wiessinger
The Swift Observatory was launched in 2004, but recent solar storms have pushed its orbit lower, and it's in danger of burning up in Earth's atmosphere as soon as this year. To try and stave off its demise, NASA has enlisted Katalyst Space Technologies. The company's Link spacecraft launched Friday with the goal of intercepting Swift, which has no propulsion system, and boosting its orbit back to its original position. Right now, Swift is circling at an altitude of 224 miles, and Link is aiming to raise that by about 150 miles.
Using a three-armed spacecraft to lift a satellite 150 miles higher into orbit is challenging enough, but the spee … Read the full story at The Verge.