Post #4178627
2026-06-27 01:33 UTC
Note that the Katalyst Space LINK robotic servicing spacecraft will use three Hall-effect ion thrusters, powered by 60 about 60 kg of xenon gas, to slowly raise the orbit of the NASA Swift observatory over a period of several months.
A Hall-effect ion thruster works by ionizing and accelerating gases like Xenon using an electric field, thereby producing a slow steady thrust for an extended period of time. It effectively converts solar energy into thrust.
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/swift-boost-mission/cast/
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@AkaSci@fosstodon.org 2026-06-29 22:58
The NASA Swift Boost Mission is all set for launch tomorrow, June 30, at 6:23 a.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. local time UTC+12), from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. There will be no livestream. Approx. timeline of events: Few weeks: Katalyst LINK spacecraft commissioning A month: Approach, grab planning, rendezvous and capture Few months: The slow boost to higher orbit using Hall-effect ion thrusters A month: Swift restart and testing https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/06/29/what-to-expect-commercial-mission-to-boost-nasas-swift/ 9/n