NASA’s Swift Telescope Crashes Over Indonesia After Failed Rescue
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, weighing 3,200 pounds, re-entered Earth's atmosphere over Indonesia on November 4, 2026, after 22 years in orbit. It was vital for studying gamma-ray bursts, detecting over 2,000 events. Increased solar activity caused its orbit to deteriorate, leading to an uncontrolled descent. A $30 million NASA rescue mission failed to prevent its crash.
TOI Science·



