Engineers race to save stricken LINK rescue spacecraft before it's too late

Artist's illustration of Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK spacecraft meeting up with NASA's Swift space telescope in Earth orbit.

A private rescue spacecraft is having troubles of its own in Earth orbit.

LINK, a satellite built and operated by the Arizona company Katalyst Space Technologies, launched July 3 on a daring and unprecedented mission: Rendezvous with NASA's Swift space telescope and boost the observatory to a higher orbit before it falls out of the sky.