A fiery end to a NASA mission that captured some of the universe's brightest events

NPR | By Geoff Brumfiel

Published November 4, 2026 at 1:29 PM AKST

NASA's Swift observatory is set to re-enter the atmosphere on Wednesday after two decades of gathering data.

Geoff Brumfiel

Geoff Brumfiel works as a senior editor and correspondent on NPR's science desk.