NASA's Swift space telescope falls back to Earth after failed rescue attempt
Summary
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 4, 2026, about three months after a private spacecraft was supposed to boost it to a higher orbit. Space.com reported that the telescope crashed back to Earth that day, and ABC News reported that it came down near Sumatra in Indonesia following the failed rescue attempt earlier this year. Deutsche Welle described the fall as a fiery end to a mission of more than two decades, during which a rescue attempt to raise its sinking orbit had failed. Phys.org reported that Swift took its last look at the sky on Oct. 20, 2026, while orbiting about 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth, and that NASA ended the mission three days later because drag from the thin air at that height meant the telescopes could no longer hold steady.
Timeline
Space.com
Source ↗Space.com reports that NASA's Swift space telescope crashed back to Earth on Nov. 4, three months after a private spacecraft was supposed to boost it to a higher orbit.
ABC News
Source ↗ABC News reports that NASA's Swift telescope re-entered Earth's atmosphere near Sumatra in Indonesia following a failed rescue attempt earlier this year.
Deutsche Welle
Source ↗Deutsche Welle reports that NASA's Swift orbital observatory fell back to Earth after more than two decades of operation, after a rescue attempt to raise its sinking orbit had failed.
Phys.org
Source ↗Phys.org reports that Swift took its last look at the sky on Oct. 20, 2026, at about 171 miles above Earth, and that NASA ended the mission three days later because drag left the telescopes unable to hold steady.
Comments
No comments yet.
to like and comment.