NASA’s Swift Observatory Nears Reentry After Rescue Failure

NASA’s Swift Observatory is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere around Friday, according to the U.S. Space Force, after a rescue attempt failed to prevent the aging telescope’s descent. Most of the roughly 1½-ton spacecraft is expected to burn up, though some components could survive, NASA’s chief scientist for the mission said. The Space Force is tracking Swift’s trajectory. The predicted reentry zone includes parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. Any surviving debris is considered most likely to fall into the ocean, but the precise timing and location remain forecasts, not confirmed outcomes. NASA hired Katalyst Space for a rescue effort after solar activity in recent years accelerated Swift’s orbital decay. The company’s three-armed robot, Link, launched in July but came no closer than about 7 to 9 miles from the observatory. Link returned to Earth in September, and the attempt did not save Swift. Swift resumed observations after the rescue effort ended, but by late October it was too low to remain stable enough for observations. Controllers shut down its systems. The spacecraft had spent 22 years in orbit after launching on...