DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

LINK

LINK is a robotic spacecraft servicing vehicle designed to rendezvous with, capture, and boost satellites in LEO.

Track LINK
Manufacturer
Katalyst Space Technologies
Form factor
aerial
Maturity
pilot
Lifecycle
active

The verified answer

As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies LINK, a aerial by Katalyst Space Technologies (pilot). 1 source back the record.

Overview

LINK is a robotic spacecraft servicing vehicle designed to rendezvous with, capture, and boost satellites in LEO. Launched July 3, 2026 on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, LINK was the first commercial robotic servicing spacecraft hired by NASA to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit. During commissioning, the spacecraft suffered a serious anomaly: two of three reaction wheels failed and the vehicle began tumbling out of control.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
pilot(Small-scale deployment in controlled or trial conditions.)
Sources on file
View all sources →

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Form factor

Robotic spacecraft servicing vehicle

Mission

Rendezvous with and boost NASA Swift Observatory to higher orbit

Launch date

July 3, 2026

Launch vehicle

Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket

Status

Tumbling out of control — recovery attempts underway

Anomaly

Two of three reaction wheels failed; thruster problems

Build time

Built in under one year due to urgent orbital decay timeline

First

First commercial robotic servicing spacecraft hired by NASA

Data & sources

Web sources

1

1 source backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for LINK. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

How DEPLOY tracks pricing

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Safety record

No incidents on record for LINK.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (1)

  1. Commissioning Update for Spacecraft to Boost NASA's Swift · https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/07/28/commissioning-update-for-spacecraft-to-boost-nasas-swift/

Common questions

What is LINK?
LINK is a robotic spacecraft servicing vehicle designed to rendezvous with, capture, and boost satellites in LEO. Launched July 3, 2026 on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, LINK was the first commercial robotic servicing spacecraft hired by NASA to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit. During commissioning, the spacecraft suffered a serious anomaly: two of three reaction wheels failed and the vehicle began tumbling out of control.
How much does LINK cost?
LINK's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for LINK from Katalyst Space Technologies. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is LINK actually deployed in the real world?
LINK is at the pilot stage: a trial is reported, but no deployment is yet verified at a named site on the DEPLOY registry. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
Who makes LINK?
LINK is made by Katalyst Space Technologies, based in Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
Can you buy LINK?
LINK is in pilot deployments with named customers and is not yet broadly for sale.
What are alternatives to LINK?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable aerial robots to LINK include Skydio X10, Zipline Platform 2 (P2), MQ-9 Reaper, Wing Delivery Aircraft.
How does LINK compare to Skydio X10?
LINK and Skydio X10 (Skydio · 20 deployments) are both aerial robots on the DEPLOY registry. LINK has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is LINK a top aerial?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, LINK ranks in roughly the top 10% of aerial models tracked by the registry.
What is LINK's maturity stage?
LINK is at the pilot stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Pilot stage means at least one named-customer trial deployment is verified.
Where is LINK deployed?
No verified deployments of LINK are currently on the DEPLOY registry. DEPLOY records deployments only when verified at a named site with a primary source; absence may reflect pre-deployment, research, or manufacturer-internal use.
Is LINK safe?
LINK has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-09

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: pilot

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: aerial

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for LINK.

Recent coverage

LINK in third-party press

Stadler Presents New KISS Double-Decker Trains for Vienna’s City Airport Train

Aug 19, 2026

New study links cosmic radiation to higher cancer death risk in flight crews

Aug 19, 2026

Researchers studied more than 2,200 working adults and found that people who persisted through setbacks earned more and were more satisfied with their careers — associations that remained even after accounting for intelligence and conscientiousness.

Aug 18, 2026