NASA's Swift Observatory Nears Earth Reentry After Failed Rescue Mission

The aging Swift Observatory is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere around Friday after a commercial rescue attempt failed. Most of the 1½-ton telescope is projected to burn up, though some denser fragments could survive. The observatory, which detected over 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and 1,400 exploding stars during its 22 years in orbit, had its systems shut down in late October due to its dwindling orbit.