NASA's Swift Telescope Set to Re-Enter Earth
NASA's Swift space telescope is set to fall back to Earth this week. An explainer looks at the science of re-entry and where the telescope might land. NASA's Swift Observatory is expected to burn up in the atmosphere as it re-enters.
Context
Context: Swift is a NASA space telescope launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, and satellites in low orbit slowly lose height until they re-enter. Most large objects burn up in the atmosphere, but some debris can sometimes reach the ground.
Burning Potato score: 60%