NASA’s Swift Powers On Third Instrument, Restarts Automated Slewing
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has resumed use of its third science instrument and automatically repointing to examine new high-energy flashes in the sky. The post NASA’s Swift Powers On Third Instrument, Restarts Automated Slewing appeared first on NASA Science .
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has resumed use of its third science instrument, the Burst Alert Telescope, following a return to data collection in August. The observatory's flight controllers have also allowed the spacecraft to automatically repoint its other telescopes to examine new high-energy flashes in the sky, marking a significant step towards normal operations.
The Burst Alert Telescope was halted in April to reduce power consumption and extend the satellite's time in orbit, but it was confirmed to be calibrated and detecting gamma rays on September 18. This development comes after a commercial mission's boost effort was scaled back, prompting the need to adjust Swift's trajectory.
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