A Katalyst Space robot tasked with boosting the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit has spiraled out of control, NASA revealed.

The mission was groundbreaking—first time a private company took on such a task. But now, two reaction wheels have failed and the spacecraft is spinning wildly, causing sporadic communications issues.

Flight controllers are desperately trying to regain control using thrusters, but Katalyst remains optimistic: "This remains an active mission, and we continue to move forward with plans to rendezvous with Swift."

The company rushed to build the spacecraft due to the urgent need for a lift. Co-founder Kieran Wilson admitted it was risky, saying: "There’re a lot of spacecraft that have had far longer development cycles with far more funding behind them that have failed for mundane reasons."

Despite the setback, this mission could pave the way for future private space operations. Katalyst has already secured funding from the U.S. military and tech investors.