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A truck-sized NASA space telescope is about to crash to Earth
NASA’s Swift Observatory is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday after efforts to raise its orbit failed. The ageing telescope has operated for almost 22 years, far beyond its original mission, and its descent marks the end of a long-running observatory that studied gamma-ray bursts and other space phenomena.
The spacecraft weighs about 3,200 pounds and measures 5.6 metres tall and 5.4 metres wide, including its solar arrays. NASA expects most of it to burn up, though some parts may survive; it estimates the chance of harm to anyone on Earth at about 1 in 2,100. A rescue attempt ended after the Link spacecraft developed attitude-control problems, while solar storms had pushed Swift into a lower orbit.
In short
- Swift is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday.
- The telescope greatly outlasted its original two-year mission.
- NASA puts the risk of harm at about 1 in 2,100.
Explained simply
Swift is a NASA space observatory launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts: brief, intense flashes of high-energy light from distant cosmic events. It also observes other objects, including black holes and exploding stars. Scientists use its observations to investigate how these events happen and what they can reveal about the universe.
Swift carries instruments that detect different kinds of light, including X-rays and ultraviolet light, and can turn quickly towards a new burst. Its work has helped astronomers study events that may last only seconds but come from far beyond our solar system. The observatory was designed for a shorter mission, but continued operating for nearly 22 years.