This space telescope is falling. A robotic spacecraft may save it

NASA's Swift space telescope, launched in 2004, was headed for a fiery atmospheric reentry after stronger-than-expected solar activity caused its orbit to decay faster than anticipated. On July 2, a private robotic spacecraft called LINK launched to grab Swift with robotic arms and push it back to its original 600-kilometer orbit. If successful, Swift could have another decade of operation — and the technique could eventually save other telescopes, including Hubble.