NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up over North Sumatra, Indonesia, at 7:39 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the U.S. Space Force confirmed. The 3,200-pound (1,452 kg) telescope, which spent 22 years studying gamma-ray bursts and supernovae, was not recovered.
The spacecraft’s uncontrolled descent followed the failure of a $30 million rescue mission in August, when a private contractor’s robotic craft malfunctioned and crashed back to Earth in September. NASA had attempted to boost Swift’s orbit to extend its operational life, but the effort was abandoned after the robotic system failed to reach the telescope.
Swift, launched in 2004 with a planned two-year mission, operated 11 times longer than expected, observing thousands of gamma-ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars. Its instruments were shut down in late October when its orbit became too low to maintain stability. NASA had previously estimated the risk of harm to anyone on Earth at 1 in 2,100.
Tracking and Impact
The U.S. Space Force tracked Swift’s re-entry path, which passed over parts of Central and South America, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and northern Australia. NASA anticipated that some denser components may have survived atmospheric burn-up, though the exact location of any debris remains uncertain. The agency noted that surviving fragments could fall within a broad equatorial belt, excluding the U.S. and Europe.
Future Implications for Hubble
NASA is now assessing potential rescue or controlled deorbiting options for the Hubble Space Telescope, whose orbit is also degrading due to solar activity. Unlike Swift’s emergency situation, Hubble’s re-entry is not expected until the mid-2030s, giving NASA more time to explore solutions. The agency has solicited proposals from private companies to either boost Hubble’s orbit, upgrade its systems, or guide it to a controlled re-entry—with a deadline of 2032 for any intervention.
NASA officials emphasized that Hubble remains scientifically valuable. “Hubble still has important science ahead of it,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a statement. The agency has not yet committed to a specific course of action but is evaluating industry interest in potential missions.