NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift satellite)

Why in News?

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift satellite) ended its 20-year mission and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on 4 November, burning up over Indonesia.

Key Features

• Launch: Launched in 2004 by NASA.
• Primary objective: To study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most intense explosions of energy in the universe.
• Scientific instruments: Equipped with three telescopes that observe the universe across multiple wavelengths:
  1. Burst Alert Telescope (BAT): Detects gamma-ray bursts.
  2. X-Ray Telescope (XRT): Studies X-ray emissions from cosmic sources.
  3. Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT): Observes ultraviolet and visible light.
• Other observations: Studied supernova explosions, black holes disrupting stars, stellar X-ray flares, asteroids and comets.
• Scientific contribution: Its observations contributed to approximately 7,000 published scientific papers.
• Mission duration: It operated for nearly 20 years, far exceeding its original two-year design life.
• End of mission: It ceased scientific operations on 20 October. After a failed attempt to boost its orbit, it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on 4 November.

CLICK HERE: GS TIMES UPSC PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED DAILY TEST (ENG & HINDI)

DOWNLOAD PDF: GS TIMES UPSC (CSE) PRELIMS & MAINS CURRENT AFFAIRS BASED MONTHLY TEST PDF

CLICK HERE: DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ (FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS)

CLICK HERE FOR GS TIMES PRAHAR UPSC GS MAINS TEST SERIES