Swift Observatory's 22-year run ends as 1.5-ton craft reenters atmosphere

The Swift Observatory ended its 22-year operational life on Wednesday after reentering Earth's atmosphere near Indonesia. The U.S. Space Force tracked the spacecraft's sinking orbit and confirmed the descent. Intense solar activity over the past few years had increased atmospheric drag, accelerating the decay of the satellite's path.

The 1.5-ton spacecraft was designed to study gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. It launched in 2004 with a planned mission duration of two years. The observatory operated for 11 times longer than that initial estimate. During that period, it recorded thousands of cosmic explosions. It served as a rapid-response instrument, alerting other telescopes to investigate specific events in greater detail.

NASA contracted Katalyst Space to perform an orbit-boosting maneuver in July. The private company designed a three-armed robotic craft for the task. The rescue vehicle encountered technical issues after its launch. It crashed in September, less than three months before the main telescope fell.

It was not immediately clear how much of the Swift structure burned up during reentry. NASA anticipated that denser components of the vehicle would survive the atmospheric entry. The agency is now evaluating industry interest in saving another aging asset: the Hubble Space Telescope.

Hubble launched in 1990 and is expected to deorbit by the mid-2030s. Solar storms are currently degrading its trajectory. NASA is soliciting proposals from private companies to boost its orbit, upgrade its systems, or guide a controlled reentry. Any such mission would need to be completed by 2032.

Nicky Fox, NASA's science mission chief, noted that the agency has more time to explore options for Hubble than it did for Swift. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that Hubble still has important science ahead of it. He added that the agency should look at every reasonable opportunity to keep the telescope operating for as long as possible.