NASA’s defunct Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere Wednesday evening, with Korea unlikely to be affected, according to KASA. The Korea AeroSpace Administration stated that the observatory is projected to reenter at approximately 8:46 p.m., though a margin of error of two hours applies. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, also known as the Swift telescope, had been slowly falling out of orbit following its launch in 2004.
Korea’s space agency noted that a July attempt to use a private satellite to boost the telescope’s altitude failed, leaving the observatory on an inevitable descent. The 1.5-ton telescope, which had operated for 22 years observing high-energy gamma-ray bursts, was officially shut down on Oct. 20. KASA emphasized that most of the telescope’s body is expected to burn up during reentry, with any remaining components likely falling into the ocean.
Monitoring of the Swift telescope’s trajectory will continue through the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. The agency confirmed that the Korean Peninsula is not within the projected impact zone.
