NASA's Swift Observatory Is Falling to Earth. Where Could It Land?
Summary
NASA’s Swift Observatory is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around Friday after solar activity sped up its orbital decay. Most of the spacecraft should burn up, but some dense parts could reach the surface; officials expect any debris to most likely land in the ocean and have not identified a precise location.Key Facts
- Swift launched in 2004 to detect gamma-ray bursts, powerful explosions in space.
- During its 22-year mission, Swift detected more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and about 1,400 exploding stars.
- Swift also observed black holes, comets and asteroids, and provided early alerts to other observatories.
- Solar activity heated and expanded the upper atmosphere, increasing drag on Swift and accelerating its descent.
- A planned rescue using Katalyst Space’s Link spacecraft failed to reach Swift and raise its orbit.
- Possible impact areas span parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Central America and South America.
- NASA shut down Swift’s systems after the spacecraft descended too low to maintain stable observations.
- The U.S. Space Force is tracking Swift, and forecasts may become more precise in the final hours before re-entry.
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