Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Science › Nasa’s 22-year-old Swift satellite telescope falls from...
Science

Nasa’s 22-year-old Swift satellite telescope falls from orbit in fiery finale

Nasa’s 22-year-old Swift satellite telescope falls from orbit in fiery finale
South China Morning Post Wednesday 04 November 2026, 23:46 UTC By Reuters 1 min read
Key Points

Nasa’s Swift satellite ⁠telescope, which spent two decades studying the most powerful known blasts of energy in the cosmos, tumbled out of orbit as expected on Wednesday and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia, the space agency reported. The fiery demise of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, weighing roughly 3,200 pounds (1,452kg), came less than three months after a ‌rescue spacecraft failed its mission to boost the satellite to higher orbit and extend its life. The US Space...

Nasa’s Swift satellite ⁠telescope, which spent two decades studying the most powerful known blasts of energy in the cosmos, tumbled out of orbit as expected on Wednesday and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia, the space agency reported. The fiery demise of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, weighing roughly 3,200 pounds (1,452kg), came less than three months after a ‌rescue spacecraft failed its mission to boost the satellite to higher orbit and extend its life. The US Space Force...
Nasa (ORG) Earth (LOCATION) Indonesia (LOCATION) ‌rescue (ORG) The US Space Force (ORG)
Originally published by South China Morning Post Read original →

Related Stories

First direct observations reveal hydrogen dissolved in tiny gaps between metal atoms

First direct observations reveal hydrogen dissolved in tiny gaps between metal atoms Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor University of Sydney researchers have made a breakthrough by directly observing hydrogen in the tiny spaces between the atoms in metal alloys. The world-first observation of hydrogen dissolving in these 'metal crystal lattices' offers fresh insights into why hydrogen can weaken metals and how more hydrogen-resistant materials might be developed....

Phys.org 34m ago

Scientists reveal how cosignaling receptors dually regulate T cell activation via phase separation

Scientists reveal how cosignaling receptors dually regulate T cell activation via phase separation Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor Previous studies have shown that upon antigen stimulation, the T cell receptor (TCR) undergoes phase separation with the kinase Lck to mediate rapid T cell activation. However, the manner in which costimulating receptors regulate this process has remained unclear. In a study published in PNAS, researchers from the Institute of Biophysics...

Phys.org 34m ago

Ancient coins suggest influential Iron Age king was female

Ancient coins suggest influential Iron Age king was female Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor Bournemouth University (BU) archaeological research has revealed that Iron Age British ruler "Verica," who was central to the Roman invasion of Britain in A.D. 43, was in fact a woman. This discovery rewrites the history of early Roman Britain. Verica was a ruler of the Atrebates, a tribe whose territory covered much of modern-day Hampshire and West Sussex.

Phys.org 44m ago

Stunning collection of prehistoric engravings found in Spanish cave

A gallery of hundreds of engraved motifs and dozens of prehistoric animal images has been found in a cave in Spain, where they had gone unnoticed despite the cave being a popular tourist attraction. Josep Maria Vergès at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology stumbled on the rock art at Cova de la Font Major, west of Barcelona, after a tourist group caught his attention. The visitors, wearing wetsuits, were taking part in an adventure activity and had emerged from a nearby opening that...

New Scientist 53m ago