NASA’s Swift telescope is expected to re-enter after a failed rescue
The US Space Force predicts NASA’s Swift Observatory will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on or around Friday, after a rescue attempt failed to stop its descent. Most of the 1.5-tonne telescope is expected to burn up, though NASA mission chief Brad Cenko said some tungsten components and mirror parts could survive; most debris is expected to fall into the ocean.
Bottom line — Swift recorded more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars during 22 years in orbit.
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NASA said intense solar activity accelerated Swift’s descent in recent years.
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NASA hired Katalyst Space for a rescue attempt; its Link robot came no closer than 12–15 kilometres before falling back to Earth in September.
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Swift resumed observations after the rescue was abandoned, but its systems were shut down by late October when it could no longer remain stable.
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NASA used Swift as an early-warning system, alerting Hubble, Webb and other telescopes to events for closer study.
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The Space Force is tracking Swift’s path; parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America are within the possible re-entry zone.