NASA’s Swift Observatory Expected to Reenter Wednesday

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, Nov. 4, nearly 22 years after its launch, as the aging spacecraft descended from orbit. NASA’s estimate placed reentry around 3:30 a.m. EST, with an uncertainty of plus or minus 11 hours. The Aerospace Corporation separately estimated 5:12 a.m. EST, plus or minus eight hours. Neither forecast establishes when or where the spacecraft will actually come down. NASA said most of the observatory would burn up during reentry, although some components could survive and reach the ground. The agency estimated the chance of debris injuring someone at approximately 1 in 2,100. Any surviving fragments were expected to fall within a band from 20.6 degrees south to 20.6 degrees north latitude, a region that includes much of the planet’s equatorial area. NASA and the U.S. Space Force were monitoring the descent and updating predictions. Swift’s science operations ended after its final observation on Oct. 20, when the spacecraft had fallen too low to continue steady observations. The observatory, which weighs roughly 3,200 pounds, was designed for a two-year mission but operated for nearly 22 years....