New York Times
• Kenneth Chang
NASA’s Swift Observatory gets an orbital rescue: Katalyst mission to use a Pegasus XL air-launched from an L-1011 Stargazer
A Pegasus XL rocket will be air-launched for the first time since 2021 from the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Stargazer, departing Kwajalein Atoll before releasing the rocket on a racetrack trajectory. The June 30, 2026 mission—by NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies—will rendezvous in orbit to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory back to a stable altitude as it risks atmospheric reentry.
