NASA’s Swift space observatory falls back to Earth after failed rescue attempt

While most of the satellite is expected to have burned up, officials noted that some components may have survived the descent.

There have been no reports of damage following the event. The satellite, which launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, fell out of orbit due to geomagnetic storms caused by solar eruptions.

NASA attempted to save the observatory using a towing spacecraft named Link, which was developed by Katalyst Space at a cost of 30 million dollars. The mission was abandoned after the recovery craft experienced control system issues. The satellite was equipped with three telescopes and had been operational since its launch from Cape Canaveral.