An aging NASA telescope, the Swift Observatory, is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrate around Friday, according to the U.S. Space Force. The 1.5-ton spacecraft has been steadily losing altitude after a failed rescue mission aimed at extending its operational life.

Most of the telescope is anticipated to burn up during reentry, but some components made from dense materials such as tungsten, along with certain mirror parts, could survive and reach the surface, NASA mission chief scientist Brad Cenko said. Although the most likely landing area is the ocean, the potential reentry corridor includes parts of Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. The Space Force continues to monitor the observatory’s declining trajectory.

Launched on November 20, 2004, Swift was designed to detect and study gamma ray bursts and supernovae, some of the most powerful explosions in the universe. Over its 22 years in orbit, the telescope recorded more than 2,000 gamma ray bursts and 1,400 supernovae, in addition to observations of comets, asteroids, and black holes. Its ability to quickly maneuver—hence its name—allowed it to respond rapidly to transient cosmic events.

“From the start, we understood that Swift’s orbit would eventually decay, and that its reentry would be inevitable,” said John Nousek, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University who led the telescope’s control team. He described the end as “catastrophic” but expressed gratitude for the mission’s scientific contributions.

In recent years, intensified solar activity accelerated the telescope’s orbital decay. NASA contracted Katalyst Space last year to attempt a repair mission using a robotic arm called Link, which was launched in July. However, technical difficulties prevented Link from approaching closer than seven to nine miles from Swift, leading to the mission’s cancellation after Link returned to Earth in September.

Following the aborted rescue, Swift resumed its observations for a time, capturing new data on high-energy cosmic phenomena until its altitude dropped too low for stable operations. The telescope’s systems were ultimately shut down in late October.

Swift played a critical role as a “first responder” in coordination with other observatories such as the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, alerting them to bursts and flashes that warranted detailed follow-up study. Scientists are now considering how best to fill the observational void left by its loss.

“Our hope is that the lessons learned from Swift’s successes will inform future space missions and accelerate our understanding of the universe,” Nousek said.