NASA telescope on verge of plunging back to Earth after failed rescue mission

The aging Swift Observatory, a NASA telescope, is in danger of falling back to Earth after a rescue mission failed. The U.S. Space Force expects the telescope to reenter the atmosphere around October 30, 2026. According to NASA's Brad Cenko, most of the 1.5-ton telescope will burn up during reentry, but some denser pieces made of tungsten and mirror parts could survive.

These surviving fragments are likely to land in the ocean, with parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America falling within the reentry zone.

Swift was launched on November 20, 2004, with the mission to detect some of the most powerful explosions in the universe, such as gamma ray bursts and supernovas. Despite the telescope's 22 years in orbit, its orbit was gradually lowered due to intense solar activity. NASA attempted to save Swift by hiring Katalyst Space, but the rescue mission failed when the company's robot, named Link, did not come close enough to the telescope.

Swift continued its observations following the rescue attempt's cancellation, discovering even more gamma ray bursts and other high-energy events.

By late October, Swift was too low to maintain steady observations, and its systems were ultimately shut down. Although most of the telescope will disintegrate during reentry, a few pieces could reach the ground. Scientists are now looking for ways to replace Swift's capabilities, hoping that the lessons learned from Swift's observations can help new space missions make new discoveries about the universe.