Swift Observatory to Reenter Atmosphere Friday

The Swift Observatory, a 1.5-ton NASA telescope, is scheduled to reenter Earth's atmosphere on or around Friday, November 6. The U.S. Space Force predicts the craft will begin its descent after a rescue mission failed to stabilize its decaying orbit.

NASA hired Katalyst Space one year ago to execute an emergency orbital boost. The company launched a three-armed robot named Link in July. However, the robot encountered technical issues and never closed the distance to the telescope, staying between 12 and 15 kilometers away. Link fell back to Earth in September, ending the rescue attempt.

Intense solar activity over the past several years increased atmospheric drag, causing Swift to lose altitude faster than projected. The telescope resumed observing after the rescue was abandoned. It recorded additional gamma ray bursts and high-energy events until late October. By then, its altitude was too low for stable observations, prompting engineers to shut down its systems.

Most of the instrument will disintegrate during reentry. However, NASA mission chief scientist Brad Cenko notes that components made of tungsten, a material denser than lead, and certain mirror parts may survive the heat. The Space Force is tracking the final trajectory. While the ocean is the most probable impact site, the reentry corridor includes parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and the Americas.

Swift launched on November 20, 2004, to detect gamma ray bursts and supernovas. Over its 22 years in orbit, it cataloged more than 2,000 gamma ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars. It also tracked comets, asteroids, and black holes. Its rapid swivel capability allowed it to alert other observatories, including Hubble and Webb, to follow up on discoveries.

John Nousek, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University who led the control team, stated that the end of the mission was inevitable for a satellite in low-Earth orbit. He described the final phase as catastrophic but expressed gratitude for the data collected. The team is currently reviewing the mission's lessons to apply to future space projects.

Nousek noted in an email that the goal is to use Swift's operational successes to speed up discoveries in new space missions. The telescope's role as a rapid-response instrument has created a gap that scientists are still working to fill with other tools.