NASA’s Attempt to Save the Swift Telescope Has Failed

NASA’s Swift Observatory, which studies some of the most powerful explosions in the universe, is expected to burn up in the atmosphere.

A rendering of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Image: NASA NASA is calling off a mission to save a space observatory falling out of orbit, dooming it to a fiery death in Earth's atmosphere." Why it matters: The Swift Boost Mission was an ambitious attempt to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and demonstrate

The mission to save NASA’s sinking Swift Observatory was called off Wednesday, dooming the telescope to a fiery reentry later this year.

Rescue mission is called off for NASA's aging Swift space telescope

The mission to save NASA's sinking space telescope has been called off

The mission to save NASA's sinking space telescope has been called off

A spacecraft built by space startup Katalyst Space that will tow NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory into a higher orbit awaits encapsulation aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, U.S. June 8, 2026. REUTERS/NASA/Ron Beard 20 Aug 2026 02:33AM WASHINGTON, Aug 19 : A mission