NASA restores Swift telescope functions as orbital decay threatens imminent shutdown
NASA has turned two of Swift's three science instruments back on, but increased atmospheric drag means the observatory may fall below a critical altitude within a month or two.
NASA reactivated the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope and X-ray Telescope on the Swift Observatory on Aug. 26, restoring most of its observational capacity after a shutdown in February aimed at minimizing atmospheric drag. The third instrument, the Burst Alert Telescope, stayed dormant following an April power-saving maneuver but is expected to resume data collection within weeks. Heightened solar activity has caused the Earth's upper atmosphere to swell, increasing drag on Swift and hastening its descent.
A commercial effort by Katalyst Space to capture and lift Swift with the LINK spacecraft was abandoned after the probe experienced attitude-control issues, though proximity-operations tests will continue. Without propulsion, Swift cannot counter the drag and is projected to slip below the 185-mile (300-km) threshold in the next one to two months, after which operations become increasingly difficult. The team is now racing to gather as much science as possible before the orbit declines further.
Why it matters
Swift provides rapid alerts for fleeting cosmic events, and its loss would reduce astronomers' ability to study transient phenomena.
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