NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to re-enter uncontrolled Nov 3-4
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has been studying cosmic explosions since 2004, is heading for an uncontrolled re-entry between November 3 and 4, 2026.
Most of the satellite will burn up in the atmosphere, but experts like astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell say about 100kg of internal components could make it to Earth.
Debris likely between 20°N and 20°S
Any surviving pieces are expected to fall somewhere between 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south of the equator, mostly over oceans, but possibly also parts of Africa or Australia.
The risk to people is low, but this event is a reminder that space junk is becoming a bigger issue.
Swift's long run helped scientists learn about gamma-ray bursts and led to about 7,000 published papers, even though attempts to save its orbit didn't work out.