Katalyst Space has run into technical issues with attitude control on the recently launched LINK spacecraft, on a mission to rescue NASA’s Swift Observatory.
Katalyst issued an update on Tuesday, saying that two of three reaction wheels on the spacecraft are non-functional and partial reaction control system (RCS) functionality. The spacecraft has been in a multi-axis spin, which led to temporary loss of communications and a bus reset. The spacecraft’s other subsystems are functioning correctly.
The team is working to stabilize the space with electric propulsion burns. They update the guidance, navigation, and control schemes and verify the updated schemes with end-to-end simulation and ground testing.
Katalyst still plans to attempt rendezvous proximity operations (RPO) and capture the Swift spacecraft.
“While these technical issues require a revised approach, our team is working around the clock alongside our NASA partners. The mission remains active and we continue to believe that with these changes, LINK has a viable path to rendezvous with Swift,” Katalys said in the update.
NASA tapped Katalyst for the rescue mission with a $30 million contract less than a year ago in a bid to “race against the clock” to reboost the Swift Observatory before it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere. The team designed, built, tested, and integrated the robotic spacecraft in less than a year. Northrop Grumman launched the spacecraft in an air-launched Pegasus mission on July 2.
