End of an era: Swift telescope re-enters atmosphere after 22 years

NASA's Swift space telescope has officially ended its mission, re-entering the Earth's atmosphere near Indonesia on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Space Force.

The descent was attributed to increased solar activity in recent years. Weighing approximately 1.5 tons, officials expect some of the telescope's denser components to survive the heat of re-entry.

Originally launched in 2004 for a two-year mission, Swift exceeded expectations by operating for over two decades, during which it tracked thousands of gamma-ray bursts and stellar events.

The re-entry follows a failed rescue mission involving a private contractor earlier this year, which intended to boost the satellite back into its operational orbit before the robotic mission crashed in September.