NASA and Katalyst Space announced on Wednesday that the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher altitude due to an ongoing attitude control issue.

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, operated for 21 years before solar activity expanded Earth's upper atmosphere, creating severe orbital drag that pulled the spacecraft downward. Increased solar activity is accelerating the orbital decay of the Swift telescope, threatening its burn-up in Earth's atmosphere before the end of the year without orbital adjustment.

The LINK spacecraft launched on July 3 aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket from the remote Kwajalein Atoll, but communications established shortly after launch were followed by control issues. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future. Although the rescue mission is canceled, the Link spacecraft will continue to operate to conduct simulation maneuvers and gather data to advance future satellite servicing capabilities.

NASA paid $30 million to Katalyst Space Technologies in an attempt to raise the Swift Observatory to a safer, longer-lasting orbit. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, which is 36 years old, was next in line for a rescue attempt but it is also dropping in orbit due to recent solar outbursts.