https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/nasa-races-to-save-aging-swift-telescope-from-falling-back-to-earth-with-daring-rescue-mission

A pretty interesting undertaking. The rocket is being launched from an airplane and the 3 armed robot that is supposed to grab the telescope and move it to higher orbit is pretty amazing. Hubble could be next.

“NASA has bought a little more time for Swift, turning off all scientific instruments to slow its descent.”

I’m trying to think what the connection is between the two, unless there’s something being left out of the non-explanation, like turning off means retracting things, and thus reducing drag.

14 minutes ago, swansont said:

“NASA has bought a little more time for Swift, turning off all scientific instruments to slow its descent.”

I’m trying to think what the connection is between the two, unless there’s something being left out of the non-explanation, like turning off means retracting things, and thus reducing drag.

From NASA:

"On Feb. 11, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory temporarily suspended most science operations in an effort to reduce atmospheric drag and slow the spacecraft’s orbital decay. Halting these activities will enable controllers to keep the spacecraft in an orientation that minimizes drag effects, extending its time in orbit in anticipation of a reboost mission.

“Normally, Swift quickly turns to view its targets — especially the fleeting, almost daily explosions called gamma-ray bursts — with multiple telescopes,” said principal investigator S. Bradley Cenko at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Swift’s Burst Alert Telescope will continue to detect gamma-ray bursts, but the spacecraft will no longer slew to observe targets with its other telescopes.”

https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/02/11/nasas-swift-mission-transitions-ops-to-prep-for-orbit-boost/

Thanks! That makes sense.

And saves me a dive into the rabbit hole