Katalyst Space Technologies' robotic spacecraft Link, a $30 million mission launched on July 3 from Kwajalein Atoll, reentered Earth's atmosphere on September 25 after failing to raise the orbit of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The three-armed spacecraft was unable to complete its rescue mission despite nearly three months of operation.
A private spacecraft designed to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory came within nine miles and captured photographs of the doomed satellite on September 4, 2026. Despite the approach, the rescue mission was unable to prevent the telescope's eventual atmospheric reentry.
On August 19, 2026, NASA and Katalyst Space announced that the LINK spacecraft would not attempt to capture and boost NASA's Swift gamma-ray observatory due to an ongoing attitude control issue. Without a rescue, Swift is expected to reenter the atmosphere later in 2026.