The robot NASA hired to lift a orbital telescope is tumbling out of control

NASA risks losing its Swift orbital telescope because the robotic arm it contracted to retrieve the aging observatory is now tumbling uncontrollably. Swift provides rapid gamma‑ray burst observations that support both research and international alert networks, making its continued operation critical for the scientific community and NASA’s high‑energy astrophysics program. NASA Science posted a commissioning update confirming that the spacecraft’s reaction wheels have failed, leaving the rescue vehicle spinning.

Ars Technica explained that the wheel failures are the direct cause of the uncontrolled tumble, describing the situation as a ‘spinning in orbit’ scenario. AP News noted that the private mission tasked with lifting Swift has run into its own trouble, complicating the rescue timeline. TechCrunch highlighted the same issue, emphasizing the robot’s loss of attitude control.

WV News framed the effort as a ‘Satellite Rescue Mission,’ underscoring the high stakes for preserving Swift’s capabilities. The coverage does not yet specify how the tumbling will be corrected, whether through additional reaction‑wheel replacements or alternative attitude‑control measures, nor when Swift can resume full operations. The private contractor’s schedule, linked to narrow launch windows, remains uncertain, leaving the telescope’s future in limbo pending a concrete solution.