NASA’s Swift space telescope crashes back to Earth over Indonesia after 22 years in orbit

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia after a failed rescue attempt.

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which spent nearly 22 years observing space, has ended its mission after a failed attempt to save the ageing spacecraft. Launched in 2004, the telescope was originally designed to operate for just two years but continued sending back observations long beyond its expected lifespan. It has now re-entered Earth's atmosphere, bringing its remarkable run to a close.

The space telescope outlived its expected lifespan by two decades. (Representative Image/Unsplash)

What happened to NASA’s Swift Observatory?

According to NASA, the US Space Force confirmed that the 3,200-pound spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere at 7.39 am EST on Wednesday over North Sumatra, Indonesia.

NASA had warned that most of the spacecraft would burn up as it passed through the atmosphere, although some parts could survive and reach the ground. The agency had estimated the risk of debris harming anyone on Earth at approximately one in 2,100.

The telescope's return followed an unsuccessful attempt to extend its life. NASA had hired private space company Katalyst Space Technologies to send a robotic spacecraft to push Swift into a higher orbit, allowing it to continue operating for longer.

However, the rescue vehicle developed control problems and could not safely approach the observatory. The attempt was eventually called off in August, leaving Swift on course to return to Earth.

What did the NASA telescope spend 22 years observing?

Swift was launched in November 2004 to study some of the most powerful explosions in space. These explosions, known as gamma-ray bursts, release enormous amounts of energy in a very short time. They can happen when massive stars collapse or when two extremely dense dead stars collide.

Over its operational life, Swift detected and tracked more than 2,000 such bursts. Its observations helped astronomers locate these distant explosions and alert other telescopes so they could study them more closely.

The observatory also tracked exploding stars, black holes, comets and asteroids. One of its notable observations involved a wandering black hole tearing apart a star far from the centre of its galaxy.

Why was Swift's mission important?

The observatory allowed scientists to detect powerful explosions and other unusual events across the universe, often within seconds of them occurring. Its quick observations helped astronomers direct other telescopes towards these events and study them in greater detail.

As The Guardian reported, Swift's observations also helped scientists investigate unusual black holes and the destruction of stars passing too close to them.

Although the spacecraft has now returned to Earth, the information it collected over nearly 22 years will continue to be studied by researchers.