Nasa telescope launched in 2004 to plunge back to Earth after failed rescue mission

Nasa’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 and designed for a two-year mission, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday and burn up in an uncontrolled descent. The satellite, which spent two decades studying the most powerful explosions in the cosmos, can no longer steer or observe after a failed rescue mission. Its three telescopes far outlasted their original design life, operating for roughly 20 years instead of two. The uncontrolled re-entry means the timing and location of its burn-up cannot be precisely directed. What to watch next: confirmation of the re-entry and any reports of surviving debris reaching the surface.