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NASA ends Swift telescope mission after failed private rescue
NASA has ended the Swift space telescope’s observing mission after more than two decades. The private rescue spacecraft LINK suffered propulsion and reaction-wheel failures, preventing it from docking with Swift and raising its orbit. Swift has no thrusters to counter atmospheric drag, and NASA expects it to reenter Earth’s atmosphere within weeks.
What to know
- 01
Katalyst Space Technologies led the rescue; LINK reached a distance of 12–15 kilometers from Swift and photographed the telescope.
- 02
Designed for two years of operation, Swift recorded more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and over 1,400 supernova explosions.
Why it matters
NASA said the attempt still had value for advancing in-orbit servicing and testing ways to extend the lives of low-Earth-orbit satellites.
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