CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Aug. 24 -- The University of Virginia issued the following news release:
About 250 miles above the Earth, a NASA satellite is in trouble.
First, it shouldn't be that low. Wisps of wind at the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space have buffeted the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, slowing it down and decaying its orbit. Second, stronger-than-expected solar activity accelerated the sink rate, setting up a fatal and fiery plunge later this year.
NASA put out an emergency call for help. A Colorado-based space startup answered, and that eventually sent a University of Virginia economics graduate to the remote Marshall Islands.
Katalyst Space won a contract to build a robot spacecraft that would fly to the ailing ...