- NASA launched the Link mission for the Swift Observatory, which, according to initial reports, is designed to detect fast radio bursts.
- Launch Link was carried out by Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket; the start was preceded by a technical problem, and the countdown was stopped by 0836 GMT.
- Once the mission is successfully launched, Swift may be able to observe the spacecraft in real time; NASA notes that the space mission’s payload will have to be able to observe 30 million kilometers of space.
NASA’s Swift mission launch for the Swift Observatory — a telescope that can detect gamma rays from space. The launch was to take place from the Marshall Islands at Kwajalein Atoll, and the rocket was to be launched at 0836 GMT.
Northrop Grumman launched the Link space mission, using Katalyst Space Technologies (a subsidiary of Shati), with the Pegasus rocket. According to the materials, Link’s mission to Swift is designed to find and investigate the first signs of gamma-ray bursts.
As the materials state, Link planned to start in a live broadcast, but the launch was delayed due to a technical problem. Al Jazeera reported that the countdown started at 0836 GMT at Kwajalein Atoll.
The Swift telescope was launched in 2004. The materials explain that the telescope will be able to detect fast radio bursts through a special system, while Swift will be able to observe gamma-ray bursts with a field of view of 250 millionths of the sky.
According to DW, NASA will launch 30 million dollars (26 million euros) worth of the Katalyst Space Technologies telescope for the Swift spacecraft. The materials also note that Link’s successful launch could allow Swift to observe the spacecraft in real time; for this purpose, the telescope’s payload will be able to detect bursts at a distance of 150 miles (360 kilometers), with a field of view that is equivalent to “one tenth of the sky.”
Al Jazeera also reports that the planned operation is to begin with Swift’s launch at 300 km (186 miles) above Earth, where, as the article explains, the spacecraft will be able to detect gamma rays. DW also notes that NASA expects the launch to take place: a probability of Swift’s system being able to detect fast radio bursts.
NASA director Shawn Domagal-Goldman, commenting on the situation, said that the mission is “not about ‘surprise’ but about ‘understanding’ what’s going on.”