Swift Observatory Concludes Operations Following Atmospheric Drag Decay
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory concluded its science mission after operating in an orbit less than 171 miles above Earth, where increased atmospheric drag prevented steady observations. During its multi-decade career, the observatory tracked over 2,000 gamma-ray bursts, studied more than 1,400 supernovae, and provided rapid multiwavelength data that helped confirm theoretical models of short gamma-ray bursts resulting from neutron star mergers. The spacecraft performed its final observation on October 20 and is expected to re-enter the atmosphere within the next few weeks.
NASA Langley Partners with Virginia Energy to Deliver Weather and Solar Datasets
NASA’s Langley Research Center established a Space Act Agreement with the Virginia Department of Energy to supply solar, meteorological, and extreme weather datasets for energy system modeling and planning. The partnership will utilize NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources information to assist state officials in conducting resiliency studies, resource analysis, and long-term energy planning. The collaboration aims to help state planners better anticipate electricity demands, assess weather-related vulnerabilities, and evaluate energy generation tradeoffs.
Satellite Altimetry Records Track Intensity of Developing El Niño Event
Data from a 35-year satellite altimetry record indicate that the 2026 El Niño event is on track to rival some of the strongest historical predecessors, such as the 1997-98 event. By measuring sea surface height anomalies using satellites including Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, researchers observed warmer-than-normal water pooling across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. While the current event developed more suddenly than the 1997 event, NOAA outlooks indicate an 83 percent chance of a strong-to-very strong El Niño persisting through early 2027.
Written with AI from original reports. Source names and report dates are shown with each story.
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