Technology

NASA's 1.5-ton observatory and its 22-year journey of space exploration.

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08/11/2026 04:50:00

NASA's Swift observatory, launched 22 years ago, concluded its mission with an uncontrolled re-entry on November 4th, marking the end of its space exploration.
Despite its uncontrolled descent, NASA reports that Swift's re-entry likely did not result in significant damage or impact on the Earth's surface.
Most of the 1.5-ton observatory, comparable to a small bus, is expected to have burned up during its passage through the Earth's atmosphere. Read more

Swift fell uncontrollably to Earth on November 4th, ending its 22-year operational journey since its launch into orbit.

Swift's re-entry into the atmosphere is not believed to have caused a significant impact. NASA estimates that most of the observatory, which is roughly the size of a small bus, would have burned up as it passed through the atmosphere.

Đài quan sát nặng 1,5 tấn của NASA và hành trình 22 năm khám phá vũ trụ - 1 — NASA's Swift observatory in orbit around Earth (Illustrative image: NASA).

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