NASA’s Swift telescope faces uncontrolled re-entry after rescue attempt fails

Science · First reported 3 Nov, 13:16 · Updated 13:37

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Francis Matahum · CC BY-SA 4.0

NASA’s Swift space telescope is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around Wednesday after a rescue mission failed to capture it and raise its orbit. The timing and impact location remain uncertain; most of the observatory is expected to burn up, though some fragments could reach the surface.

Swift, which has operated for nearly 22 years, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere uncontrolled around Wednesday; the precise timing remains uncertain.
NASA and Katalyst Space’s rescue effort failed after the LINK spacecraft developed an orientation problem and could not capture Swift.
The telescope is expected to mostly disintegrate during re-entry, but experts anticipate that a few small fragments could reach Earth; its impact site cannot yet be determined.

Summary written by Lux AI from 2 articles

Key facts

Expected re-entry: Around Wednesday; the supplied estimate is 10 a.m. Spanish time with a 12-hour margin.
Time in service: Nearly 22 years.
Rescue mission: LINK could not capture Swift after an orientation problem.
Estimated mass: About 1.5 tons.
Impact location: Not yet determinable; the orbit’s latitude band spans areas of ocean and parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.