NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Concludes Mission with Fiery Re-entry After Failed Rescue Attempt
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is expected to undergo a fiery re-entry into Earth's atmosphere this week, nearly 22 years after its launch. The 3,200-pound spacecraft, which has been instrumental in studying gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena, is projected to largely burn up, though some pieces may reach the ground. NASA estimates the risk of harm to anyone on Earth as approximately 1 in 2,100, with potential debris landing in a band encompassing parts of Central and South America, Central Africa, southern India, Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and vast ocean stretches. A last-ditch rescue mission by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies, involving a spacecraft named LINK designed to boost Swift into a stable orbit, failed earlier this year due to orientation control issues. Swift's orbital decay was accelerated by increased solar activity in 2024, intensifying atmospheric drag.