Inside NASA's audacious plan to save a doomed space telescope

"NASA's Swift Observatory has been surveying the sky for gamma-ray bursts for more than 21 years. Each impact with atmospheric particles steals a tiny bit of the spacecraft's speed, pushing it closer to Earth."

"NASA hopes to buy the telescope an extra decade through a mission where a robot will gently attach to Swift, push it up into a safer orbit, then set it free."

"The Swift Observatory is equipped with a Burst Alert Telescope that surveys a huge amount of the sky at once, looking for flashes of light and pinpointing their locations."

"Swift's agility allows it to pivot within a minute or two to examine interesting spots with its other telescopes, maintaining its relevance in astronomy."

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has been surveying gamma-ray bursts for over 21 years. It is losing speed due to collisions with atmospheric particles, risking a fall from orbit. NASA plans to extend its mission by using a robot to push the telescope into a safer orbit. This innovative technique could enhance the longevity of scientific spacecraft. Swift's agility allows it to quickly pivot and examine interesting astronomical events, maintaining its relevance in the field even after solving key mysteries about gamma-ray bursts.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com