“A Derelict NASA Space Telescope Is Falling Back to Earth and Experts Have No Idea Where It’ll Crash”

Key points

• NASA launched Katalyst Space Technologies to boost Swift into a higher orbit in July.
• Katalyst’s spacecraft tumbled out of control months into the mission and failed to reorbit Swift.
• Swift's orbit decayed rapidly and began sinking, reaching about 171 miles by mid-October.
• Experts expect most of Swift to burn up on reentry, with little ground hazard.
• The observatory’s reentry hazard is considered small and near open ocean regions.