Swift Telescope: NASA's Gamma Ray Observer Reenters Earth's Atmosphere
The 22-year-old spacecraft ended its mission after solar activity degraded its orbit, following a failed private rescue attempt in July.
By Ryan Davidson ·
The Swift Observatory reentered Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday near Indonesia, marking the end of its operational life. The U.S. Space Force tracked the descent, which was caused by increased drag from intense solar activity over the past several years.
The spacecraft, which weighs 1.5 tons, had been in orbit since 2004. Its orbit began to decay due to solar storms that pushed the spacecraft into a lower path. NASA estimated that some dense components might survive the reentry, though the exact amount of material that burned up remains unknown.
NASA attempted to save the telescope earlier this year by hiring Katalyst Space to perform an orbit boost. The company launched a three-armed robotic craft in July to attach to Swift and raise its altitude. The mission failed when the robotic craft encountered technical issues and crashed in September, leaving Swift with less than three months of remaining orbital life.
Swift was originally designed for a two-year mission to study gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. It operated for 22 years, observing thousands of cosmic explosions. The telescope served as a rapid-response system, directing other observatories to specific targets for more detailed analysis.
NASA is now assessing interest from private companies to rescue the Hubble Space Telescope, which faces a similar orbital decline. Launched in 1990, Hubble is projected to reenter the atmosphere by the mid-2030s. The space agency is seeking proposals for orbit boosts, system upgrades, or controlled reentry plans that must be implemented by 2032.
Nicky Fox, NASA's science mission chief, noted that the agency has more time to evaluate options for Hubble than it did for Swift. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that Hubble still has important science ahead and that the agency should explore every reasonable opportunity to extend its operational life.
The decision to reenter Swift came after the failed rescue mission in September. The space agency confirmed the reentry location and timing based on tracking data from the U.S. Space Force.
