Swift Observatory Ends 22-Year Mission With Atmospheric Reentry
The space telescope crashed near Indonesia after a failed rescue attempt, while NASA weighs options to save the Hubble Space Telescope.
By Anthony Foster ·
The Swift Observatory fell into Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday, concluding a 22-year mission to track cosmic explosions.
The U.S. Space Force verified the reentry near Indonesia. Intense solar activity over the past few years caused the spacecraft's orbit to decay rapidly. The demise occurred less than three months after a private rescue effort failed to save the satellite.
Swift launched in 2004 with a planned two-year duration. It studied gamma ray bursts and exploding stars for 11 times longer than intended. The telescope acted as a first responder, detecting events so other instruments could conduct deeper analysis. It recorded thousands of such phenomena during its operational life.
NASA contracted Katalyst Space to boost Swift's orbit in July. The company's three-armed robotic craft encountered issues after launch. The rescue vehicle crashed in September, leaving Swift to deorbit naturally. The satellite weighed 1.5 tons. NASA expected some dense components to survive the atmospheric entry, though it was not immediately clear how much debris remained.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Hubble still has important science ahead of it. He added that the agency should look at every reasonable opportunity to keep Hubble delivering for as long as possible. Nicky Fox, NASA's science mission chief, noted the agency has more time to explore options for Hubble than it did for Swift.
Hubble launched in 1990 and is expected to reenter by the mid-2030s due to solar storm effects on its orbit. NASA is seeking input from private companies on boosting Hubble's orbit, upgrading systems, or guiding a controlled reentry. Any rescue mission must occur by 2032.
