News
After LINK mission failure, Swift reenters atmosphere
Astronomy Magazine · By Brooks Mendenhall ·
The Brief
- Swift reentered Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 4, 2026, ending its nearly 22-year mission.
- NASA announced on Aug. 19, 2026, that the Katalyst Space LINK spacecraft, built to meet Swift, would not boost it.
- The LINK mission failed, and Swift was not rescued from its decaying orbit.
Why it matters
Swift was a long-running space observatory, so its reentry ends a major source of astronomical observations. The case also shows how hard it is to rescue aging satellites in orbit.
Who’s affected
- astronomers
- space engineers
- #swift
- #nasa
- #satellite reentry
- #space missions
- #space debris
Editor’s note: This story was originally published Aug. 24, 2026. Swift reentered Earth’s atmosphere Nov. 4, 2026, ending its nearly 22-year mission. See the most recent updates at the end of this story. NASA announced Aug. 19 that the Katalyst Space LINK spacecraft built to…
Timeline
NASA announces the Katalyst Space LINK spacecraft will meet with Swift but will not boost it
Swift reenters Earth's atmosphere, ending its nearly 22-year mission
Astronomy Magazine
After LINK mission failure, Swift reenters atmosphere