NASA's Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere and burn up. The spacecraft, which has provided critical data on gamma-ray bursts, is losing altitude due to atmospheric drag. A failed rescue mission aimed to boost it back to a safer orbit, leaving it doomed. The observatory is expected to reenter before the end of the year, and while other instruments can perform some of its functions, the loss of Swift will degrade gamma-ray science.
We’ll perform a deep-dive analysis of all sources and publicly available external materials, then prepare a structured timeline of events, an in-depth report explaining the background and context, and multiple perspectives.