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NASA's Swift Space Observatory Falls Back To Earth
DOGO News • • science
Key Points:
- The Swift Space Observatory, launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, ended its 22-year mission when it reentered Earth's atmosphere over North Sumatra on November 4, 2026, with most of the spacecraft burning up.
- Originally designed for a two-year mission, Swift exceeded expectations by collecting data on over 2,000 gamma-ray bursts before its orbit decayed by 2026.
- NASA attempted to save Swift by launching the robotic spacecraft LINK in July 2026 to boost its orbit, but technical failures with LINK’s reaction wheels and a faulty valve led to the cancellation of the rescue mission.
- LINK conducted tests near Swift but never managed to dock or raise its orbit, ultimately reentering Earth's atmosphere in September 2026 after 85 days in space.
- Swift’s science operations officially ended on October 20, 2026, when it dropped too low to continue observations, and its instruments were shut down ahead of its final descent.
