NASA's Swift telescope falls to Earth after nearly 22 years in space

Summary

After nearly 22 years studying the universe's most violent explosions, NASA's Swift Observatory has re-entered Earth's atmosphere over Indonesia. The pioneering space telescope was originally designed to last just two years, and it transformed scientists' understanding of black holes, exploding stars, and mysterious cosmic outbursts.

Timeline

1. ScienceDaily

   6 Nov 2026, 07:12 UTCSource ↗

   ScienceDaily reports that NASA's Swift Observatory re-entered Earth's atmosphere over Indonesia after nearly 22 years exploring the universe's most violent explosions, and that the telescope, originally designed to last two years, transformed understanding of black holes, exploding stars, and cosmic outbursts.