Space · Sumatra, Indonesia · November 5, 2026

NASA's Swift telescope falls from orbit after 22 years

Reported by 2 outlets · first reported Nov 4, 4:35 PM ET

NASA's Swift gamma-ray telescope re-entered the atmosphere over Sumatra. It studied gamma ray bursts and exploding stars for nearly 22 years. It ended its mission as planned.

Why it matters

Swift's data shaped understanding of the universe's most violent events.

Background

Launched in 2004, Swift alerted astronomers to bursts within seconds.

The story so far

1. Nov 4NASA's Swift telescope falls to Earth
2. Nov 5NASA's Swift telescope falls from orbit after 22 years
3. Nov 6NASA's Swift telescope falls to Earth; dinosaur blood traces found

Follow the whole story →

Sources

• CBC News ↗Nov 4, 4:35 PM ET
• NASA via Wikipedia ↗November 4, 2026

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