Space Telescope Completes Its Long-Running Mission

The “Swift” space observatory, which made a major contribution to uncovering mysteries beyond the Solar System, has officially ended its operations.

Launched into space in November 2004, the well-known observatory successfully continued its research for around 22 years — nearly 10 times longer than the mission duration originally planned.

The spacecraft’s operations were halted after its altitude in Earth orbit dropped below 275 kilometers. At such a low altitude, atmospheric drag makes it difficult for the telescope to maintain the correct orientation and prevents it from carrying out stable observations of space objects for weeks at a time.

This summer, the independent commercial company “Katalyst Space” attempted to save the spacecraft, but the project was unsuccessful due to obstacles and technical difficulties.

In the coming weeks, the observatory is expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up completely.