NASA space telescope plunges to Earth after two decades studying cosmic explosions
The 22-year-old telescope burned up after a failed private rescue attempt, and NASA said some fragments could survive reentry.
- On Wednesday, the 3,200-pound Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory reentered Earth's atmosphere over northern Sumatra, ending its 22-year investigation of cosmic explosions.
- NASA awarded Katalyst Space a $30 million contract to extend the telescope's life, but their LINK robotic spacecraft suffered propulsion failures following its July launch.
- Designed for a two-year mission, the observatory remained productive for 22 years, observing more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts, said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division.
- Science mission chief Nicky Fox stated NASA is gauging industry interest for a similar rescue mission for the Hubble Space Telescope, exploring upgrade options.
- At least three large objects, including dead satellites or spent rocket bodies, fall back to Earth every day on average, a trend expected to rise as megaconstellations grow.
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Dying NASA Telescope Leaves Behind 600 HD Movies-Worth of Data, To Be Studied for Years
Following a last-minute attempt by NASA to save it, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory space telescope has officially ended its mission, and it's now heading for a fiery demise in our planet's atmosphere. It leaves behind, though, a treasure chest of findings that'll keep scientists busy for decades to come. The Swift telescope, born as the (continue reading...)
NASA Space Telescope Meets Fiery End After Nearly 22 Years in Orbit
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has returned to Earth after spending nearly 22 years in space, bringing an extraordinary mission of cosmic discovery to an end. The spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, more than two decades after launching in 2004. Swift was a pioneering space observatory equipped with three telescopes capable of detecting different [...]
NASA's Swift telescope reentered the atmosphere on November 4 over Indonesia. After almost 22 years, it leaves thousands of observations and a valuable scientific archive. Its archive will remain available.
NASA says goodbye to Swift after 22 years, its disintegration occurred after re-entry to Earth
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