A software glitch on a rocket-launching plane delayed NASA's $30 million mission to save the Swift Observatory, crucial for cosmic observations since 2004.
The launch is now rescheduled for Friday
Jul 03, 2026
12:04 pm
What's the storyA crucial mission to save NASA's Swift Observatory has been postponed due to a last-minute launch problem.
The issue arose when Northrop Grumman's rocket-launching plane, which was supposed to carry a spacecraft for the operation, encountered a software glitch and had to abort its flight on Thursday.
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NASA's Swift Observatory is in peril. A last minute mission to save it could make spaceflight history. Here's everything to know.
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, has been slowly losing altitude because of increased solar activity.
The $30 million salvage operation gets underway as soon as this week with the planned launch of a robotic lifesaver.
The agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is at risk of falling into the atmosphere. A spacecraft set to launch Tuesday is…
