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News: NASA’s Swift satellite telescope tumbled out of orbit as expected and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia.
About Swift Satellite Telescope
- The Swift Satellite Telescope is a space-based astronomical observatory designed primarily to detect and study Gamma-Ray Bursts.
- These bursts are extremely powerful explosions that occur in distant parts of the universe and release enormous amounts of energy within a very short period.
- It was specially designed to detect these sudden explosions, identify their locations and quickly turn its telescopes towards them.
- It observes these events in gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet and visible wavelengths.
- Its ability to respond rapidly to cosmic explosions enabled scientists to study events that would otherwise disappear before conventional telescopes could observe them.
- Launch: It was a NASA space observatory launched in 2004.
- Objective: Its primary objective was to detect and study Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), which are among the most powerful explosions in the universe.
- Lifespan: Although Swift was originally designed for a two-year mission.
- Actual Operational Period: It continued its scientific operations for nearly 22 years and made significant contributions to understanding of the universe.
- NASA officially ended its scientific mission on 20 October 2026 because the spacecraft had descended to an altitude where atmospheric drag made it difficult to maintain the stability required for astronomical observations.
- Swift satellite telescope re-entered Earth’s atmosphere recently and burned up over Indonesia.
- Scientific Instruments on Board Swift:
- Burst Alert Telescope (BAT): The Burst Alert Telescope detects gamma-ray bursts and determines their approximate locations in the sky.
- X-Ray Telescope (XRT): The X-Ray Telescope studies the X-ray emissions produced by gamma-ray bursts and other energetic cosmic events.
- Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT): The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope observes celestial objects in ultraviolet and visible light.
