Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory | |
| Names | Explorer-84 MIDEX-3 Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Gamma-ray astronomy |
| Operator | NASA / Pennsylvania State University |
| COSPAR ID | 2004-047A |
| SATCAT no. | 28485 |
| Website | swift |
| Mission duration | 2 years (planned) 21 years, 3 months, 23 days (in progress) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer LXXXIV |
| Spacecraft type | Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer |
| Bus | LEOStar-3 |
| Manufacturer | Spectrum Astro |
| Launch mass | 1,470 kg (3,240 lb) |
| Dry mass | 613 kg (1,351 lb) |
| Payload mass | 843 kg (1,858 lb) |
| Dimensions | 5.6 × 5.4 m (18 × 18 ft) |
| Power | 1040 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 20 November 2004, 17:16:01 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta II 7320-10C (Delta 309) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-17A |
| Contractor | Boeing Defense, Space & Security |
| Entered service | 1 February 2005 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 585 km (364 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 604 km (375 mi) |
| Inclination | 20.60° |
| Period | 96.60 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) UltraViolet Optical Telescope (UVOT) X-Ray Telescope (XRT) | |
Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer Explorer program | |
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, previously called the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer, is a NASA three-telescope space observatory for studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and monitoring the afterglow in X-ray and UV/visible light at the location of a burst. It was launched on 20 November 2004, aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. Headed by principal investigator Neil Gehrels until his death in February 2017, the mission was developed in a joint partnership between Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and an international consortium from the United States, United Kingdom, and Italy.
The burst detection rate is 100 per year, with a sensitivity ~3 times greater than the BATSE detector aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The Swift mission was launched with a nominal on-orbit lifetime of two years. Swift is a NASA MIDEX (medium-class Explorer) mission, operated by Pennsylvania State University. It was the third to be launched, following IMAGE and WMAP.
While originally designed for the study of gamma-ray bursts, Swift now functions as a general-purpose multi-wavelength observatory, particularly for the rapid follow-up and characterization of astrophysical transients of all types. As of 2020, Swift received 5.5 Target of Opportunity observing proposals per day, and observes ~70 targets per day, on average.