ScienceThe Star22-year-old Nasa satellite telescope falls from orbit in fiery finale
NASA's Swift telescope, which spent 20 years studying gamma-ray bursts, burned up over Indonesia after falling out of orbit as planned.
NASA'S Swift satellite telescope, which spent two decades studying the most powerful known blasts of energy in the cosmos, tumbled out of orbit as expected and burned up in Earth's atmosphere over Indonesia, the space agency reported.
NASA's Swift satellite telescope re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up over Indonesia's North Sumatra province after 22 years in orbit.
The 1,452kg observatory streaked in at about 22 times the speed of sound, with only a handful of small scorched fragments expected to reach the ground.
Swift contributed to around 7,000 scientific papers during its life, far outlasting its original two-year design, and NASA reported no injuries or damage.
Experts say the risk of harm from falling debris was one in 2,100, and no injuries or damage on the ground were reported.
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