NASA's Swift Observatory Set to Crash Back to Earth This Friday
· World · The Independent, CTV News
NASA's aging Swift Observatory, launched in November 2004, is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and crash on or around Friday after a failed rescue mission by Katalyst Space in July. The Space Force predicts most of the 1.5-ton telescope will burn up during re-entry, though denser tungsten components and mirror parts may survive and fall into the ocean. The re-entry zone covers Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. The telescope made over 2,000 gamma ray burst and 1,400 supernova observations during its 22-year mission before being shut down in late October due to low altitude and solar activity.
Why it matters
The uncontrolled re-entry poses a risk to populations in the re-entry zone, particularly in India, as surviving debris could impact populated areas and oceans, highlighting the dangers of aging space assets in low-Earth orbit.
Read the original report — The Independent
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