Rescue satellite gets close to NASA's doomed telescope, even if it can't save it

A private salvage craft, Katalyst's Link, got within about 15 km (9 miles) of NASA's failing Swift telescope and even snapped photos — but ran out of fuel after stabilizing an unexpected spin and couldn't boost Swift to a safer orbit.
The $30 million, nine‑month effort was always an experimental, rushed test; both Katalyst and NASA say they'll learn from it as on‑orbit servicing becomes more common.
Swift's orbit is rapidly decaying (around 208 miles now) and it will likely reenter between October and year‑end, spurring more talk about refueling or servicing aging observatories like Hubble.