美国国家航空暨太空总署（NASA）近期试图执行一项高风险救援任务，派遣名为 LINK 的救援探测器，计划利用机械手臂与推进器将自 2004 年发射且正脱离轨道的尼尔·格雷尔斯·史威夫特天文台（Swift）推回原位。然而，LINK 在今年七月升空后不久即遭遇姿态控制系统故障，导致这项救援行动最终被迫取消。

由于强烈的太阳活动使地球高层大气膨胀并加剧阻力，Swift 的下降速度远超出原先预期（原本预估 2030 年才会达到危险高度），预计最快可能在今年年底便会重返大气层烧毁。这座运作已达 21 年的天文台配备了三座主要望远镜，能观测可见光、紫外线、X 射线与伽马射线，长期以来是人类监测超新星、伽马射线暴及黑洞撕裂恒星等瞬变天文现象的核心设备。

虽然救援行动告吹，但 Swift 团队已决定把握最后寿命进行观测。在重启先前为节省能源而关闭的仪器后，三座望远镜中的两座已成功重启，X 射线望远镜更成功拍摄到约 13,000 光年外的第谷超新星遗迹；尽管一旦高度降至 185 英里以下操作难度将大幅提升且下坠加速，科学家仍积极调整爆发警戒望远镜，期望在卫星坠毁前捕捉更多珍贵的宇宙数据。

NASA recently attempted a high-risk rescue mission by launching a robotic probe named LINK to grab the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory—launched in 2004 and currently falling out of orbit—and push it back into position with thrusters. However, shortly after its July launch, the LINK probe suffered issues with its altitude control systems, forcing mission managers to cancel the rescue attempt.

Because intense solar activity has expanded Earth's upper atmosphere and increased aerodynamic drag, Swift's descent has accelerated well ahead of initial projections (which estimated critical levels around 2030), and it is now expected to reenter the atmosphere as early as the end of this year. Over its 21-year tenure, the multi-wavelength observatory has served as an essential eye on cosmic explosions, tracking supernovas, gamma-ray bursts, and black holes shredding stars across visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray spectra.

Despite the abandoned rescue mission, the Swift operations team plans to maximize scientific observations during the satellite's remaining lifetime. Two of its three primary telescopes have already restarted and captured images of the Tycho supernova remnant 13,000 light-years away, and while operations will become severely compromised once altitude drops below 185 miles, researchers are actively working to reactivate the Burst Alert Telescope to gather as much data as possible before the satellite burns up.