NASA telescope is on the verge of plunging back to Earth after failed rescue mission
Summary
NASA's aging Swift Observatory is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere around Friday after a failed rescue attempt. Most of the telescope should burn up, though some dense parts could survive and fall into the ocean or remote land areas.
Key Points
- The U.S. Space Force says the Swift Observatory is nearing reentry and could crash back to Earth on or around Friday.
- NASA's rescue mission using Katalyst Space's robot Link failed, and the spacecraft later fell back to Earth itself.
- Swift spent 22 years in orbit and recorded more than 2,000 gamma ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars.
- Scientists say the telescope's observations helped establish it as a first responder for other major space telescopes.
