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NASA's Swift Observatory Ends Its Science Mission

NASA, the US space agency, has ended the science mission of its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Its orbit has dropped below 171 miles, or 275 kilometers, above Earth. At that height, heavier atmospheric drag—friction from thin air that slows down a spacecraft—keeps its telescopes from pointing steadily at space targets. Swift made its last observation on 20 October 2026. It…

Rewritten with AI from facts reported by NASA. Read the original for the full report.