Swift flies on the Wings of Pegasus

Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands – Today July 3, 2026 a Lockheed L-1011 Tri-Star aircraft named “Stargazer” took off with a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket and the Katalyst Space payload satellite robot named LINK.  LINK was designed to rendezvous and rescue the Swift Observatory that is losing orbital altitude and without aid will de-orbit and burn up on reentry. The Pegasus XL rocket was launched over the Pacific Ocean in the Marshall Islands after a long distance travel from the Wallops Island facility in Virginia earlier in June.  Pegasus XL was dropped from the Stargazer aircraft at 4:36 AM EDT from an altitude of about 40,000 feet.

Image Credit: NASA - Ron Beard (Clean Room)

The Pegasus XL rocket is seeing its final flight after 36 years of service and 46 missions that started in 1990 so this flight is historic for its unique capabilities and orbital delivery services.

Image Credit: NASA - Jamie Adkins (Wallops Island, VA. Takeoff)

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launched on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral in 2004, the observatory has been in orbit for 22 years and was never designed or intended for orbital servicing which makes the rescue mission even more challenging.  How to rendezvous with an orbiting satellite, grapple it using robotic arms and then fire its engines to take it to a desired higher orbit.

Artist Rendering By:  Katalyst Space

In a statement from Katalyst Space Founder and CEO Ghonhee Lee prior to launch: “It (Swift) doesn’t have any interfaces or grapple fixtures or USB port you can plug into, it was never envisioned we would service this satellite," said Lee. "So, we have to bring all of that equipment ourselves.” Continuing - “This is one of the most technically complex missions you can do in space right now," explained Lee. "To autonomously dock to a satellite that was never designed for servicing.”

Of note, this will be the first time a commercial satellite will have been designed and flown to an orbiting government satellite that was never intended to be serviced or rescued.

Story By:  Michael Howard – We Report Space

Images By: NASA - Ron Beard (Clean Room)

                   NASA - Jamie Adkins (Wallops Island, VA. Takeoff)

Artist Rendering By:  Katalyst Space