NASA telescope is plunging back to Earth after 22 years in orbit
Summary
NASA expects its Swift Observatory to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around 3:30 a.m. EST on Nov. 4, though the forecast has an 11-hour margin of uncertainty. Most of the spacecraft should burn up, and NASA estimates the chance of harm to anyone on Earth at about 1 in 2,100.Key Facts
- Swift launched on Nov. 20, 2004, to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovas and other high-energy events.
- The roughly 3,200-pound telescope is expected to re-enter on Nov. 4, according to the U.S. Space Force forecast reported by NASA on Monday.
- Some dense tungsten parts and mirror pieces could survive re-entry; any debris is most likely to fall into the ocean.
- NASA said swaths of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America lie within the possible re-entry zone.
- NASA said the risk of harm to anyone on Earth is unlikely, at roughly 1 in 2,100.
- Intense solar activity in recent years accelerated the telescope’s descent.
- A rescue attempt by Katalyst Space failed after its Link robot developed problems and did not get closer than 7 to 9 miles to Swift.
- Swift made more than 2,000 gamma-ray burst detections and observed 1,400 exploding stars during its 22 years in orbit.
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