The US space agency NASA’s 22-year-old Swift space telescope finally entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up. On November 4, 2026, the satellite entered the atmosphere over the North Sumatra region of Indonesia. With this, the historic mission that studied some of the most powerful events in the universe came to an end. According to the US Space Force, Swift entered Earth’s atmosphere at around 6:09 p.m. Indian Standard Time on Wednesday.
The telescope, weighing about 1,452 kilograms, began its journey into space in November 2004. It was initially designed for only a two-year mission, but it continued working for more than two decades. Its main objective was to detect and study gamma-ray bursts in the universe. These bursts are among the most powerful energy events in the universe.
During its long operational life, Swift gathered important information related to supernovae, black holes, X-ray activity in stars, comets and asteroids. Its scientific data and discoveries contributed to about 7,000 research papers.
NASA had earlier estimated that most of the telescope would burn up during atmospheric entry, though some small and sturdy parts could reach Earth. The chance of harm to people was put at about one in 2,100. The relief was that no damage or injuries were reported in the incident.
Earlier, NASA had tried to save Swift by raising it to a higher orbit with the help of the private company Katalyst Space, but the rescue spacecraft sent in July could not complete its mission.
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