Robotics in space

Catalyst engineers attach the LINK to a baseplate inside the Space Environment Simulator at NASA's Goddard on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. After all the air was pumped out of the 27-foot-diameter chamber, the team practiced firing the satellite's ion engines and operating one of the robotic arms as they moved between hot and cold space-like temperatures. Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

This week: An in-orbit rescue operation. A robotic satellite will try to prevent the fall of the Swift telescope

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The LINK robotic service satellite will launch aboard a Pegasus XL rocket and attempt to latch onto NASA's Swift space observatory. Three ion engines are expected to lift the telescope into an orbit of about 600 kilometers and prevent it from entering
After testing is complete, the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) system is in a cryogenic thermal vacuum chamber at the US Naval Research Laboratory's Space Technology Center in Washington, DC, on October 8, 2024. Once in orbit, the system will perform inspections and maintenance for satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Credit: US Navy Photo, Sarah Peterson

DARPA's robots come to the rescue: revolutionizing satellite maintenance in space

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