# Ghonhee Lee

Type: Person

Source: Space & Defense Intelligence Brief — https://getspacebrief.com/entity/ghonhee-lee
Canonical HTML page: https://getspacebrief.com/entity/ghonhee-lee

## Timeline

- **2026-10**: Swift reentry expected no earlier than October — NASA says the observatory will plunge through the atmosphere after more than 20 years, with loss not expected before October 2026.
- **2026-08-19**: Rescue mission abandoned — NASA announces ongoing LINK attitude control system problems will prevent it from capturing and boosting Swift; reentry expected later in 2026.
- **2026-08-19**: Rescue mission called off — NASA and Katalyst announce ongoing attitude control issues prevent Link from capturing Swift.
- **2026-08-19**: Rescue mission called off — NASA and Katalyst announce Link will not attempt to capture Swift because of spacecraft control problems; reentry is expected no earlier than October 2026.
- **2026-07-03**: LINK launches on Pegasus XL — Katalyst's LINK servicing spacecraft launches on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket to attempt an orbit boost for Swift.
- **2026-07-03**: Link rescue satellite launches — Katalyst Space Technologies launches the Link spacecraft on a mission to capture and boost Swift's orbit.
- **2026-07**: Link rescue spacecraft launched — Katalyst Space Technologies launches Link under a $30 million NASA contract to boost Swift from 345 km to 600 km altitude.
- **2026**: Swift reentry expected — NASA expects Swift to reenter Earth's atmosphere later in 2026 as end-of-life planning continues.
- **2026**: Swift science instruments turned off — NASA powers down Swift's science instruments earlier in 2026 to slow orbital descent caused by intense solar activity.
- **2026**: Science instruments shut off — NASA turns off Swift's instruments to slow orbital decay caused by intense solar activity.
- **2025-09**: $30M servicing contract awarded — NASA awards Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract to develop and launch a robotic servicing mission for Swift in less than a year.
- **2004**: Swift launch — NASA launches the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to study gamma-ray bursts and transient cosmic phenomena.
- **2004**: Swift Observatory launched — NASA launches the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to study gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars.
- **2004**: Swift Observatory launched — NASA launches Swift to detect gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars; it would operate for more than 20 years.

## Recent coverage (4 stories)

### NASA Swift Rescue Fails After $30M Mission; Reentry Looms
2026-08-20 14:57:11 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 5

The failed $30 million backup mission for NASA's aging Swift Observatory raises new questions about commercial on-orbit servicing reliability. With Link unable to control itself in close proximity, Swift will reenter the atmosphere after 20 years of gamma-ray science.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/swift-rescue-called-off-2026

### NASA Ends $30M Swift Rescue as Link Attitude Control Fails
2026-08-20 03:08:00 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 2

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies called off the Link rescue of the long-serving Swift gamma-ray observatory on Aug. 19 after ongoing attitude control issues made capture and orbit-raising impossible. The telescope will reenter no earlier than October, but Link will continue proximity operations to validate close-in navigation for future on-orbit servicing missions.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/nasa-30m-swift-rescue-link-attitude-control-failure

### NASA Ends Swift Rescue: $30M Servicing Demo Fails in Orbit
2026-08-20 01:15:32 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

NASA's $30M bid to extend the life of the Swift gamma-ray telescope ended when Katalyst's LINK servicing craft could not overcome attitude-control failures in a 216-mile orbit, leaving a gap in rapid-response astrophysics and testing confidence in orbital servicing startups.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/nasa-ends-swift-rescue-30m-servicing-demo-fails

### NASA's $30M Rescue Bid Aims to Lift Swift Telescope by 149 Miles
2026-06-29 01:00:41 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 6

NASA is launching a pioneering $30M robotic mission with startup Katalyst Space to save the 22-year-old Swift gamma-ray observatory from orbital decay. The first US satellite servicing attempt will raise Swift’s orbit from 224 to 373 miles, setting a precedent for extending Hubble and on-orbit maintenance.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/nasa-30m-swift-orbit-rescue

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