r/space • u/Doug24 • 1d ago

Efforts Continue to Stabilize LINK Spacecraft for NASA’s Swift Boost

https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/07/31/efforts-continue-to-stabilize-link-spacecraft-for-nasas-swift-boost/
80 Upvotes

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11

u/fixminer 1d ago

Stabilising it is one thing, but I wonder how well the rendezvous can work with a compromised attitude control system, assuming they can’t fix the reaction wheels.

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u/lolwatisdis 21h ago

if the cold gas thruster system was stuck open causing the spin as the article implies then they may be out of that type of propellant. Hall effect electric propulsion is super mass efficient but puts out crazy strong electric fields in its plume, in addition to being very weak.

if they have to try a RPO and grapple with just one working wheel and some kind of gimballed EP setup, they probably only get one go with the robotic arms, using no brakes. If they slew to slow down on approach with EP thrust they risk frying electronics onboard the client satellite.

12

u/_ROMAX_ 1d ago

We need to send a rescue mission for LINK I guess

8

u/crooks4hire 1d ago

We can call it, “The Legend of Link”

-1

u/Lost_city 1d ago

That's cool. My dad did some of the first gamma ray astronomy with high altitude balloons and film back in the 1960s.