NASA's Swift Observatory reenters Earth's atmosphere

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory reentered Earth's atmosphere on 2026-11-04 at 7:39 EST. The landing site is listed as the North Sumatra region of Indonesia, and the observatory burned during reentry.

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is linked to NASA. Its reentry occurred on 2026-11-04 at 7:39 EST, and the landing site is the North Sumatra region of Indonesia.

Swift burned on reentry. Its orbit decayed, and the most recent solar maximum accelerated that decay.

The observatory provided nearly 22 years of service. It carried a combination of instruments: an X-ray telescope, a gamma-ray telescope, and an Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, enabling study of the fastest and most energetic explosions.

A mission to rescue Swift by boosting its orbit was not successful. The observatory's data continue to bring light.

The reentry ends a NASA observatory mission after nearly 22 years of service, orbital decay and an unsuccessful rescue effort. Swift's instruments enabled study of the fastest and most energetic explosions, and its data continue to bring light.

In September, NASA concluded its LINK role without a Swift boost.

In October, Swift had stopped science operations below 275 kilometers, and reentry was expected within weeks. The reentry now reported follows that expectation.