NASA said the U.S. Space Force confirmed that the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory reentered Earth’s atmosphere at 7:39 a.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 4, 2026, over North Sumatra, Indonesia, according to a report by The New York Times.
NASA had ended Swift’s science mission on Oct. 23. NeoTeo covered the mission’s end before the observatory’s reentry.
Swift’s reentry came after the forecast window
The Aerospace Corporation’s forecast, reported by The New York Times, put reentry at 5:19 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a two-hour margin. That placed the forecast’s upper limit at 7:19 a.m. The reported reentry time was 20 minutes later, a difference calculated from the forecast and reported event time.
NASA estimated a low risk of injury from debris
NASA estimated about a 1-in-2,100 chance that debris would injure someone. Before the reentry, the agency expected most of Swift to burn up in the atmosphere, while heavier pieces could survive. Possible debris included titanium components such as an instrument mount, rings and fittings, as well as a mirror assembly made of nickel.
The observatory’s reported orbital inclination was 20.6 degrees. Its possible debris path lay between 20.6° north and 20.6° south latitude.
