NASA’s Swift research satellite has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after an unprecedented attempt to rescue it failed. The observatory came down over Indonesia, the agency said. Most of the satellite is believed to have burned up, though some components may have survived. No damage had been reported at the time of the announcement.
Swift is an uncrewed observatory fitted with three telescopes. Launched from Cape Canaveral in 2004, it spent its mission studying powerful bursts of energy in the universe known as gamma-ray bursts. Although the satellite was in good condition, strong geomagnetic storms triggered by solar eruptions contributed to its descent.
NASA pursued a rescue because of the importance of Swift’s research data. In early July, the agency launched Link, an uncrewed spacecraft built by US company Katalyst Space, from an atoll in the Marshall Islands. The launch used a Stargazer aircraft and a Pegasus rocket.
Link was designed to approach Swift and guide it back to its original orbit over several months. The roughly 400-kilogram spacecraft had three robotic arms, three main engines and other instruments. But a problem with Link’s control system forced NASA to abandon the rescue attempt.
Sources: Handelsblatt.