Swift Telescope Falls After Solar Storms Shorten Its Orbit

NASA's Swift Observatory ended its 22-year run on Wednesday after plunging into Earth's atmosphere. The space agency had expected the telescope to operate for two years, but it continued observing gamma ray bursts and exploding stars until intense solar activity compressed its orbit. The U.S. Space Force confirmed the reentry occurred near Indonesia.

The mission concluded less than three months after a private rescue attempt failed. NASA contracted Katalyst Space to build an orbit-boosting vehicle. The company launched a three-armed robotic craft in July to extend Swift's life. The vehicle encountered mechanical issues and crashed in September. Swift itself weighed 1.5 tons. Officials did not immediately determine how much of the spacecraft burned up, though they expect some dense components survived the atmospheric entry.

Swift launched in 2004. It served as a first responder for other telescopes by detecting cosmic explosions and directing those instruments toward the sources. Over its extended mission, the observatory tracked thousands of such events. The solar storms that ended its run also threaten other aging satellites in low Earth orbit.

NASA is now evaluating options for the Hubble Space Telescope. Launched in 1990, Hubble faces a similar fate from solar storms. Recent analyses predict it will fall to Earth by the mid-2030s. The space agency is seeking input from private companies on how to boost Hubble's orbit, upgrade its systems, or guide it to a controlled reentry. Any intervention must 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. The previous rescue was a rapid effort. Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, stated that Hubble still has important science ahead. He said the agency should look at every reasonable opportunity to keep the telescope operating as long as possible.