NASA’s Swift Observatory Reenters Over Indonesia

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory reentered Earth’s atmosphere over North Sumatra, Indonesia, on Nov. 4, ending a mission of nearly 22 years—far longer than its planned two years. Increased solar activity accelerated its orbital decay, and a rescue attempt using the privately built Link vehicle failed earlier this year. Most of the roughly 1.5-ton telescope was expected to burn up, though some durable fragments may have reached the surface; NASA estimated the chance of debris injuring anyone at about 1 in 2,100. Swift detected more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and studied other transient cosmic events, contributing to thousands of scientific papers. Its reentry has drawn attention to the future of aging spacecraft, including Hubble, for which NASA is exploring possible orbit-boosting or controlled-reentry options.