Astrology

NASA's Swift observatory is nearing reentry after a rescue attempt failed

NASA's Swift observatory is nearing reentry into Earth's atmosphere after an attempt to raise its orbit failed, EarthSky reports. Its latest estimate puts reentry at November 4, 2026, at 05:31 UTC, with a window of 12 hours on either side.

Recent solar activity has accelerated the telescope's loss of altitude, according to EarthSky and Gizmodo. Swift spent nearly 22 years studying gamma-ray bursts, powerful cosmic explosions, after launching in November 2004 for a mission originally planned to last two years, Gizmodo reports.

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A robotic rescue failed#

NASA selected Katalyst Space Technologies in September 2025 to attempt to extend Swift's working life by raising its orbit, Gizmodo reports. The company's robotic spacecraft, LINK, launched on July 3, 2026, according to EarthSky.

LINK developed problems with its attitude control, the system that keeps a spacecraft pointed in the right direction. NASA said in August that LINK could not capture or boost Swift. The three-armed vehicle came no closer than about 12 to 15 kilometres and reentered the atmosphere in September, the Associated Press reported through Hindustan Times.

Hindustan Times reports that, once the rescue was abandoned, Swift returned to scientific observations. Its final observation came on October 20. NASA ended the science mission after the telescope fell below 275 kilometres, where increased drag prevented its instruments from staying steady on their targets.

Swift's reentry remains uncertain#

EarthSky reports that Swift is expected to burn up entirely during reentry. Gizmodo, however, reports that some internal components could survive. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told Gizmodo that astronomy satellites can contain dense telescope mirrors and other equipment, and that at least 100 kilograms could survive.

Brad Cenko, Swift's principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told the Associated Press that some tungsten and mirror parts could survive the heat, Hindustan Times reports. According to the outlet, the ocean is the likeliest landing place for any fragments that survive.

An earlier tracking message gave a broad reentry window and did not establish a location, KeepTrack reports. EarthSky says the Swift Last Light website provides information on whether the reentry might be visible from a particular location.

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