Neil Gehrels Swift

Author(s): DaveBowman2001 toutatis

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The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, also known as Explorer 84 or simply Swift, is a NASA space observatory launched in 2004 for studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and monitoring their afterglow in X-ray, and UV/Visible light. Increased solar activity in 2024 had reduced Swift's orbital altitude significantly, risking an uncontrolled reentry by 2026. Therefore, a rescue mission is ordered to extend the observatory's lifespan by another 10 years.

The Swift Observatory being constructed at a clean room in JPL, 2003

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