In brief
NASA’s Swift telescope, launched in 2004, is set to re‑enter the atmosphere on Wednesday at about 3:30 a.m. ET. Most of the 3,200‑pound craft is expected to burn, but small pieces could reach Earth in a wide latitude band, posing a very low risk. The event marks the end of Swift’s record‑breaking two‑decade science mission.
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 to study powerful explosions in space, is expected to re‑enter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday at about 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
The 3,200‑pound craft will burn up during its descent, but a few parts may survive. NASA estimates surviving debris could fall between 20.6° south and 20.6° north latitude, a risk of about one in 2,100 to anyone on Earth.
Swift was originally designed for a two‑year mission, but it stayed in space for almost 22 years. During that time the telescope recorded more than 2,000 gamma‑ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars, helping scientists understand the universe’s most energetic events.
NASA had tried to extend Swift’s life with a commercial servicing mission, but the effort was scaled back after technical problems and low fuel. The telescope’s science operations ended on Oct. 23 as its orbit steadily decayed toward Earth.
The re‑entry signals the final chapter of an instrument that pushed the boundaries of space science for more than two decades.
