Space telescope Swift disintegrates in the atmosphere after 22 years and a failed rescue mission

The Swift satellite gradually descended and likely burned up upon re-entry over Sumatra, Indonesia. NASA does not expect debris to have reached the ground. A mission to extend Swift's lifespan by sending another satellite for assistance failed, but NASA considers the attempt valuable for future space exploration knowledge. Launched in 2004, Swift studied gamma-ray bursts and observed over 2,000 such events, along with more than 1,400 supernovae and instances of stars being consumed by black holes.