NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have ended their mission to save the Swift Observatory. Persistent attitude-control failures on the Link servicing vehicle prevented a safe rendezvous. The observatory's trajectory was impacted by heightened solar activity and atmospheric drag. Swift is now on track for an uncontrolled atmospheric re-entry later this year. This outcome highlights risks in commercial in-orbit servicing operations.

The mission to save NASA's sinking space telescope has been called off. NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies announced the news Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 : A mission to rescue NASA's aging SWIFT observatory in space was canceled on Wednesday after the spacecraft that had been deployed to raise the telescope's…