A critical rescue mission to save NASA’s Swift space telescope has been delayed again due to a last-minute launch issue. The launch was set to occur from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, but a software problem halted the mission, leaving the Pegasus rocket secured to the aircraft, according to NASA.
This issue has been resolved, and a new attempt has been scheduled for Friday. The rocket is carrying a robotic spacecraft developed by Katalyst Space Technologies, intended to intercept the Swift Observatory, which faces a crash threat if not serviced by October.
Operations for Swift were put on hold earlier this year by NASA to maintain its orbit as long as possible. Since its 2004 launch, Swift has identified numerous gamma ray bursts and exploding stars, allowing other telescopes to conduct more focused examinations. Wishing to extend Swift’s mission of scanning the universe, NASA contracted Katalyst Space for this $30 million rescue operation last September.
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