NASA has confirmed that a robotic spacecraft hired to raise the ageing Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit is now tumbling out of control shortly after reaching space. The mission, run by private company Katalyst Space, marked the first time NASA had contracted a commercial firm to boost one of its orbital telescopes to extend its working life, making the malfunction a significant setback for the emerging satellite-servicing industry.

The LINK spacecraft launched on 3 July aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus rocket and was undergoing systems checks ahead of a planned rendezvous with Swift, a telescope launched in 2004 that has gradually drifted closer to Earth. Over the weekend it began spinning uncontrollably after two of its three reaction wheels failed alongside problems with a thruster system, hampering communications as its antenna swings away from Earth. Flight controllers are attempting to stabilise the craft using a separate set of thrusters and report early signs of success. Katalyst's chief engineer had previously acknowledged the mission's rushed development was risky, and the company, which raised $12 million in June and has also secured US military funding, now faces the challenge of recovering the spacecraft before Swift's orbit decays further.