NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which spent nearly 22 years observing space, has ended its mission after a failed attempt to save the ageing spacecraft. Launched in 2004, the telescope was originally designed to operate for just two years but continued sending back observations long beyond its expected lifespan. It has now re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, bringing its remarkable run to a close.
What happened to NASA’s Swift Observatory?
NASA had warned that most of the spacecraft would burn up as it passed through the atmosphere, although some parts could survive and reach the ground. The telescope’s return followed an unsuccessful attempt to extend its life. NASA had hired private space company Katalyst Space Technologies to send a robotic spacecraft to push Swift into a higher orbit, allowing it to continue operating for longer. These explosions, known as gamma-ray bursts , release enormous amounts of energy in a very short time. They can happen when massive stars collapse or when two extremely dense dead stars collide. Its observations helped astronomers locate these distant explosions and alert other telescopes so they could study them more closely.
The US Space Force confirmed that the 3,200-pound spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at 7.39 am EST on Wednesday over North Sumatra, Indonesia, according to NASA . The agency had estimated the risk of debris harming anyone on Earth at approximately one in 2,100. Swift was launched in November 2004 to study some of the most powerful explosions in space. Over its operational life, Swift detected and tracked more than 2,000 such bursts.
