Swift has been circling Earth for 21 years. Without a rescue mission assembled in just nine months, it would burn up by October.

Operation set to last several months, kicking off with launch of a robot designed to rescue Swift space telescope that’s currently falling towards Earth.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A three-armed spacecraft rocketed into orbit Friday to rescue a NASA telescope that’s in danger of crashing back to Earth.