NASA races to save aging Swift telescope from falling back to Earth with daring rescue mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is racing to save an aging telescope from falling back to Earth with a daring rescue mission.
The $30 million salvage operation gets underway as soon as this week with the planned launch of a robotic lifesaver.
NASA hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies to boost the Swift Observatory to a higher orbit where it can continue hunting for some of the universe's biggest explosions. A three-armed spacecraft built by Katalyst will chase after Swift once it takes off from an atoll in the Pacific's Marshall Islands aboard an airplane-launched Pegasus rocket. Liftoff could occur as early as Wednesday.
Scanning the cosmos since its launch in 2004, Swift has been sinking faster and faster because of recent intense solar activity. It needs to get to a higher, more stable orbit as soon as possible to survive.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope — also at risk — could be next.
READ MORE: Hubble Space Telescope captures image of comet visiting from another solar system
Like Swift, Hubble is losing altitude as the sun erupts with one flare after another. Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee said his company's next-generation robot, still in development, could save the day for the much bigger Hubble in a couple years.
Only China has attempted a mission like the upcoming one, successfully boosting a satellite into a higher graveyard orbit four years ago.
"This is the first American space robot to go up and do anything like this," Lee told The Associated Press. "NASA has all these big senior observatories … all of them can benefit from a service like this. So what we're proving with this mission is this is a new play in the playbook that's available."
It will take Katalyst's autonomous spacecraft, named Link, about a month to rendezvous with Swift and catch it, and another couple months to raise its orbit from the current 224 miles (360 kilometers) to the desired 373 miles (600 kilometers).
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The 1.6-ton (1.4-metric ton) gamma ray observatory must be above 185 miles (300 kilometers) for the rescue to work. It's expected to reach that point of no return in October, according to the latest estimates.
Roughly the size of a small kitchen refrigerator with a 40-foot (12-meter) solar wingspan, Link sports three arms with a reach of just over 3 feet (1 meter). Each arm has two finger-like pinching grippers that resemble the hands of a Lego mini figure.
If all goes well, Swift could be back in business by September, according to Lee.
Worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Swift was never designed to be repaired, let alone retrieved by hands — human or otherwise. That's what makes this so challenging, according to company officials, who stress there is no guarantee it will work.
NASA signed a contract with Katalyst last September with only two requests: It has to be a rush job, but please don't make things worse. Nine months later, the company is ready to rumble.
"I have to be honest. No one thought it was going to be possible. No one thought we would get as far as we've already gotten today," said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, NASA's astrophysics director.
NASA has bought a little more time for Swift, turning off all scientific instruments to slow its descent. Observations ceased in February.
NASA's science mission chief Nicky Fox said it's worth the effort.
"If we let Swift reenter, we would lose that telescope. We would lose a lot of capability," she said. "We don't currently have the budget to build another one to replace that."
While everything cannot be saved in space, Swift is special, said Domagal-Goldman.
True to its name, Swift is designed to pivot quickly to capture late-breaking astronomical events such as gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. With more discoveries expected by the Webb Space Telescope and soon-to-launch Roman Space Telescope, Swift, if saved, would be busier than ever as "NASA's first responder."
Katalyst sees Swift as the jumping-off point for a new repair business in space. The company's next-generation robotic rescuer, scheduled to fly next year, will tackle satellites as high as 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers) up. Lee envisions hundreds of robots in orbit one day, not only fixing and hoisting satellites but also refueling them and building solar farms, data centers and other platforms.
Thirty-six-year-old Hubble, which received repeat servicing by spacewalking astronauts during the shuttle era, could follow in 2028 with a life-extending Katalyst boost.
"It's a national treasure," Fox said. "People love Hubble."
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Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now? Inside Her Life in Prison Following Fatal Car Crash
Mackenzie Shirilla is approaching three years behind bars after being convicted of intentionally crashing her car at 100 mph into a brick building in 2022, killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and friend Davion Flanagan. She is currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life — with her earliest parole eligibility not until October 2037.
Recent updates from her mother, Natalie Shirilla, along with phone calls leaked from inside the facility, have offered a glimpse into Mackenzie’s daily life, her shifting health and her ongoing legal battle, which suffered a major setback in June 2026.
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Prison Job Behind Bars
After complaining to her mother about boredom during a recorded phone call released June 1, 2026, Mackenzie landed a new job at the prison. A spokesperson for the Ohio Reformatory for Women confirmed to Us Weekly on June 11, 2026, that Mackenzie is now working as a food service worker at the facility.
While her exact wages have not been disclosed, the spokesperson explained that inmates at the prison can earn up to $24 per month.
Related: How Many Years Will Mackenzie Shirilla Be in Prison? Sentence Details
Mackenzie Shirilla became the subject of national attention after a fatal July 2022 car crash in Strongsville, Ohio, killed her boyfriend and their close friend — and her story has only intensified in the wake of Netflix’s documentary The Crash. As viewers process the chilling details of the case, many are asking the same question: […]The job came after a phone call obtained by TMZ in which Mackenzie aired her frustrations to Natalie about the slow pace of her days. “Like it’s only 3:30, how is it only 3:30?” she asked. “For real I did not even know it was 3:30 I thought it was like 5. It’s 3:30.”
She also complained about not having access to her commissary — the in-facility store that allows incarcerated individuals to buy snacks, hygiene products and other items. “How am I going to make this one book stretch?” Mackenzie asked, adding that she didn’t want to read “the same book over and over again.” She continued, “Like literally there is nothing for me to do in my room, nothing.”
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Mother Says She Has ‘No Memory’ of the Crash
Just two days after the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear a second appeal of Mackenzie’s case, Natalie appeared on the June 25, 2026, episode of Chris Cuomo’s “Crime Time” podcast and described her daughter as “trapped in a nightmare that she has no memory of.”
According to Natalie, Mackenzie has never reviewed evidence from her own case.
“She’s never seen the evidence. She’s never seen the discovery. She’s never seen anything,” Natalie said. “She’s almost trapped in a nightmare that she has. All she knows is that the boyfriend that she loved with her whole, whole heart is gone and Davion is gone and she was the driver in a car accident, and has no memory of it.”
Mackenzie’s attorneys have argued there is “medical evidence” that she may have “suffered from a pre-existing medical condition that could have caused her to black out while driving.” Mackenzie was previously diagnosed with POTS, a condition the Cleveland Clinic describes as causing “a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.”
Prosecutors during the 2023 trial argued that Mackenzie and Russo had a tumultuous relationship and that she intentionally drove the car into the brick building at full speed. Natalie told Cuomo that her daughter still questions what happened. “And like, ‘Where’s Dom?’ Like, ‘What happened and [to] Davion?’ It’s like so sad she’s literally trapped in this nightmare, and so she struggles mentally with that part and I feel bad for everybody,” she said.
Related: When Did Mackenzie Shirilla Crash Her Car? Timeline of Crime and Trial
Mackenzie Shirilla became the subject of national attention after a fatal July 2022 car crash in Ohio left her boyfriend and a close friend dead, and ultimately landed her behind bars on murder charges. Now 21, Shirilla is serving two concurrent life sentences, and renewed interest in her case following Netflix’s documentary The Crash has […]Mackenzie Shirilla’s Health and Hobbies in Prison
In a separate update, Natalie told The Daily Mail in an interview published on June 14, 2026, that Mackenzie’s physical health has improved during her time behind bars.
“She’s actually gained a little bit of weight, she looks healthier,” Natalie said. However, she added that her daughter “is still mentally struggling.”
Outside of work, Mackenzie passes the time by making artwork, painting and drawing. Natalie said the pieces reflect her daughter’s mental state. “It’s so sad, and one of these days I’ll share it, but I’m not going to share it now for obvious reasons, but it’s really sad,” Natalie told Cuomo. “She does self-portraits of herself where she has… like a rose of thorns around her neck or like her mouth is sewn shut and she’s got all these question marks around her head like, ‘Why, why, why?’”
Inmates at the facility also have access to controlled tablets. “She listens to music or watches movies,” Natalie told The Daily Mail. “They have tablets that have controlled apps. They can’t access the Internet but they can watch movies or listen to music. They also have a gym and can take fitness classes.”
Asked about whether Mackenzie has faced bullying behind bars, Natalie said she isn’t worried. “I think some people get targeted at times but it’s not something she talks about,” she said. “She’s not afraid to stand up for herself. We talk about how to navigate through those situations.” She added that “the women really take care of each other” in the prison.
Inside Mackenzie Shirilla’s Rumored Behavioral Issues in Prison
Us Weekly previously reported that Mackenzie has received 36 misconduct “tickets” for violating prison rules.
“A lot of the tickets she got were for stuff she wouldn’t even know were rules, like wearing her uniform,” Natalie claimed to The Daily Mail.
Natalie then reflected on some of the tickets being given to Mackenzie after she allegedly made numerous sexually explicit video calls with a former inmate.
Related: Mackenzie Shirilla Worries About Having 'Kids' During Jail Call With Mom
Mackenzie Shirilla opened up about her concerns for the future during a phone call from behind bars, revealing that she is afraid she won’t “be able to have kids” because she would be “old” when she’s released. In the undated jail call between her and her mother, Natalie Shirilla, Mackenzie, 21, discussed the hard realities […]In light of rumors regarding Mackenzie’s alleged same-sex hookups behind bars, Natalie said, “I mean, she’s in her 20s so… I don’t know about that one. All I can say is Mackenzie is not violent or aggressive.”
Mackenzie has faced several infractions, including a NSFW video call in 2025 in which she allegedly showed her breasts to a visitor who flashed “a dildo sticking out of her pants twice.”
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Conviction and Failed Appeals
Mackenzie was arrested after she drove 100 mph into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, in July 2022. Russo and Flanagan died in the crash, and Mackenzie sustained severe injuries.
She was convicted of 12 felony charges in 2023, including murder, felonious assault and aggravated vehicular homicide. Following the high-profile trial, she was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison. She is not eligible for parole until October 2037.
Despite the verdict, Mackenzie has maintained her innocence and insisted she never intended to kill Russo or Flanagan. She appeared from prison in the May Netflix documentary The Crash, in which she expressed remorse for the collision.
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Related: Mackenzie Shirilla Reveals Her Post-Prison Plans If She's Ever Released
Convicted murderer Mackenzie Shirilla is revealing her post-prison plans, should she ever secure her release. “I’ma be a life coach and stuff,” Shirilla, 21, reportedly told her mom, Natalie Shirilla, via phone from the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio, according to audio obtained by TMZ and published on Saturday, May 30. “I’m just […]Her former inmate Mary Katherine “Kat” Crowder, however, contradicted that portrayal in an interview with NewsNation. “When Mackenzie first walked out in the documentary, my jaw dropped because that was not the person that I saw in prison when I was with her. She walked around in a very light demeanor,” Crowder said. “It was never this dark, smug, tough girl act that was in this video trying to portray some sort of remorse.”
Her legal team has now attempted to appeal the verdict three times. The Ohio Supreme Court denied her most recent request for review on June 23, 2026.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
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