NASA Rocket Launched: Will Observation Satellite Fall to Earth?

2025.11.29 07:00 Editorial department

To prevent it from falling to Earth, NASA is starting an emergency mission. It’s like launching a rocket and directly intervening to save an observation satellite at risk of going out of control in outer space. A cinematic plan has been announced.

the target is NASA’s observation satellite, the Neil Gehrels Swift observatory. If nothing is done, this valuable satellite could enter Earth’s atmosphere and crash by the end of 2026.

Air Launch Plan: Launching a Rocket from an Airplane

Katalyst Space Technologies, an Arizona space company, is collaborating on this rescue mission. They aren’t launching from the ground, but from an aircraft in flight using a unique method called “air launch.”

Specifically, the L-1011 Stargazer, a modified passenger plane, will ascend to an altitude of 39,000 feet (approximately 12,000 meters), and from there, a rocket will be launched.