2 hours ago The LINK spacecraft, which Lee's squad came up with, is simply a three-armed robot, astir the size of a fridge, bristling with cameras and guidance systems and driven by tiny thrusters.
Launched connected Friday, the spacecraft volition walk the adjacent fewer weeks waking up its systems one-by-one: power, navigation, the cameras and sensors it volition trust on, and cheque that each 1 survived the ride.
Although the Pegasus XL rocket connected which it rode has flung LINK adjacent to Swift's orbit, determination is inactive overmuch enactment for the three-armed robot to bash to get adjacent to Swift - the observatory's altitude is shifting week-by-week.
The rescue spacecraft, itself moving, has to location successful connected a moving target. But astir 3 to 4 weeks aft motorboat it should yet gully alongside.
Using its cameras and sensors, LINK volition descent successful adjacent and ellipse the telescope, photographing it from each angle. Engineers person guessed astatine wherever to drawback hold, but Swift indispensable person been altered by 20 years successful orbit, according to Barber.
"The Swift scope was ne'er designed to beryllium caught successful abstraction and person its orbit changed. So, the rescue trade is going to attack it precise dilatory and connect itself to the telescope."
Then comes the nail-biting moment: the catch, erstwhile LINK's 3 arms scope out.
If each goes to plan, LINK volition instrumentality clasp of Swift and instrumentality it backmost to wherever it tin proceed its captious work.
"LINK volition occurrence its engines to dilatory rise the orbit of the scope again to an altitude wherever it becomes unchangeable for a agelong play of time," said Barber.
"It volition beryllium a precise slow, graceful lift, not a abrupt boost to a higher orbit."
Over the pursuing 2 to 3 months, LINK volition occurrence its tiny thrusters and mildly haul the brace backmost uphill, from astir 220 miles (360 km) towards Swift's aged location 373 miles (600 km) supra the Earth.
The ngo is ambitious and has ne'er been carried retired before. A batch volition person to spell close if it is to succeed. If it does, attraction volition crook to whether the adjacent rescue ngo could beryllium to prevention the adjacent much celebrated Hubble Space Telescope.
Stay tuned.
English (US)·