Cambrian Works Selects Astroscale U.S. as its Mission Partner for NASA Swift Observatory Boost Mission Concept Study

Commercial mission concept could give the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory a new lease on life, preserving its search for the universe’s most powerful explosions

DENVER, August 12, 2025 — Cambrian Works has selected Astroscale U.S. as its mission partner for a 30-day NASA study to develop a comprehensive concept of operations and implementation plan for a potential commercial mission to raise the orbit of the agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The mission concept study will provide NASA with a technically credible, operationally executable and rapidly developed solution to extend the spacecraft’s mission life.

“The Cambrian-Astroscale U.S. solution will combine our patent-pending electric Thin Attachment Pad (eTAP™) technology — a space-rated, reusable subsystem that can attach to any spacecraft surface without prior modification for flexible, non-invasive servicing — with Astroscale’s proven expertise and on-orbit success in rendezvous, proximity operations, docking and mission integration,” said Dr. Victor Aguero, Cambrian Works Co-Founder, CEO and CTO. “Together, we offer NASA a credible, near-term path to extend the Swift Observatory’s mission while demonstrating U.S.-led commercial servicing capabilities.”

Ron Lopez, President of Astroscale U.S., agreed: “The Cambrian–Astroscale U.S. partnership represents the growing strength of the U.S. commercial space servicing sector. A successful Swift orbit boost would not only extend the mission of one of NASA’s most productive science assets, but also serve as a demonstration of U.S.-developed, commercially led capabilities that can be applied to future government and commercial spacecraft.”

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About the Mission Concept Study

Launched in November 2004, Swift has been a cornerstone of NASA’s astrophysics program, detecting gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and other high-energy astrophysical phenomena. Over its more than two decades in orbit, Swift has transformed the way scientists study transient cosmic events — from exploding stars and stellar flares to active galaxies, comets, and asteroids. Increased solar activity has recently accelerated orbital decay, with projected reentry likely by late 2026.

The concept studies are being developed under Phase III awards through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, managed by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, to American small businesses from a pool of existing participants. This approach allows NASA to rapidly explore affordable possibilities to boost Swift on a shorter development timeline than would otherwise be possible, given the rapid rate at which Swift’s orbit is decaying.

For more about concept study, visit www.nasa.gov

About Cambrian Works

Cambrian Works Inc., is pioneering foundational infrastructure and technology for the nascent space economy. Overcoming the constraints between the ground and space, Cambrian Works provides real-time, resilient, multi-orbit, self-healing mesh networking solutions that expand the terrestrial Internet, network data flow visualizations and management across constellations and multi-orbit regimes, and revolutionary technologies for in-space attachment that enhance space manufacturing capabilities and in-space servicing missions. The Cambrian Works team is dedicated to empowering an in-space, robotic workforce, operable collaboratively and from the ground, building up the machine-to-machine future in space, and addressing the need for seamless information sharing between diverse industries, companies, and domains.

Cambrian Works is made up of radical engineers and programmers with wide industry experience, joined by their shared goal of forging an in-space economy that enables ideas to flourish, pushing forward a Cambrian explosion of new opportunities in space.

For more about Cambrian Works, Inc., visit www.cambrianworks.com

About Astroscale U.S.
Astroscale U.S. Inc., the U.S. entity of Astroscale Holdings, is a leading provider of on-orbit servicing solutions and capabilities — including inspection, transportation, life extension, debris removal/deorbit and refueling — for the U.S. government and commercial operators around the world. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Astroscale U.S. applies world-class mission design and rendezvous, proximity operations and docking capabilities to solve the complex challenges our customers face. Astroscale U.S. is dedicated to Astroscale’s vision of ensuring the safe and sustainable development of space for future generations.

For more about Astroscale U.S., visit www.astroscale-us.com

For more about Astroscale, visit www.astroscale.com

Image credit: NASA‘s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (KBRwyle)