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At a glance
The 3,200-pound satellite is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere on November 4, with a wide reentry zone covering parts of Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, and South America.
What the briefing reports
NASA's Swift observatory is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere on November 4, according to the US Armed Forces. The satellite, which weighs 3,200 pounds, has been in operation since its launch on November 20, 2004, and conducted its final observation on October 20.
During its time in space, Swift observed over 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and gathered data on 1,400 supernova explosions. The Swift Boost mission had previously failed due to attitude control issues, but the observatory was still able to achieve significant scientific milestones.
The reentry zone for the satellite covers a wide area, including parts of Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, and South America, although the exact location of impact is not yet certain. As the reentry date approaches, further updates are expected to be provided by NASA and other relevant authorities.
Cited sources
Updates and corrections
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