NASA's Swift space telescope is falling back to Earth uncontrolled after nearly 22 years in orbit, AP News reports. The observatory, which weighs about 1,500 kilograms, spent its mission studying cosmic explosions, and its rescue effort has failed, according to the same reporting.
Coverage of the reentry has been widespread. El Mundo describes the spacecraft as set to come down as space junk, while EFE reports NASA expects the telescope to fall without control after almost 22 years of mission. El Periódico and EL PAÍS both report that the rescue attempt failed, with El Periódico noting the fall was expected within hours.
Swift's descent is uncontrolled, meaning the agency is not steering the spacecraft. AP News did not specify where the debris is expected to come down or what risk it poses on the ground.
The telescope's long service makes the reentry a notable end to a mission built around watching violent events in deep space. For now, the main question is the timing and location of the impact.
What to watch next: official NASA updates on when and where the telescope comes down.
