NASA terminates Swift space telescope mission following failed rescue attempt

NASA has confirmed the conclusion of the Swift space telescope mission, which operated for over two decades. Designed with an initial two-year lifespan, the telescope had been suffering from orbital decay caused by atmospheric drag.

To address this, NASA contracted Katalyst Space Technologies to perform an in-orbit rescue. The plan involved a private spacecraft, LINK, docking with Swift to nudge it into a higher orbit. The mission failed after the LINK spacecraft suffered propulsion and attitude control malfunctions shortly after launch, rendering it unable to dock.

The telescope transmitted its final science data on October 20. NASA expects the satellite to re-enter Earth's atmosphere within the coming weeks. Throughout its operational life, Swift observed over 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and 1,400 supernovae, facilitating approximately 7,000 academic papers.

While the rescue attempt was unsuccessful, NASA stated the project provided essential data regarding the feasibility of in-orbit service missions for aging hardware. The extensive archive of multi-wavelength data captured by Swift remains a cornerstone for future research in astrophysics.