The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a space telescope that NASA previously attempted but failed to rescue, is expected to crash back to Earth soon.

CBS News reported on the 2nd (local time) that the 1.5-ton space telescope Swift is expected to re-enter the atmosphere on the 4th (local time).

While most of the body is expected to burn up in the atmosphere, some tungsten components will survive and fall into the ocean.

A wide area encompassing Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America is predicted as the potential debris impact zone.

NASA stated that the probability of anyone on Earth being harmed is extremely low, estimating the risk at 1 in 2,100.

Swift is a space telescope deployed to identify ultra-high-energy phenomena. Launched in 2004, it has observed over 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and some 1,400 stellar explosions to date.

Having operated for over 20 years, its orbital altitude has gradually decreased, and as the risk of a crash grew, a rescue mission was launched.

NASA contracted with startup Catalyst Space Technologies and launched a rescue spacecraft named Link into space.

The plan was to approach Swift with Link, capture it, and tow it back up to a normal orbit.

However, Link, launched this summer, went out of control and failed to approach Swift, leading to the failure of the rescue mission.

John Nousek, an astronomer at Penn State University, remarked, "Ever since Swift was launched, we knew a day like this would come. Anything put into low Earth orbit must eventually come down, and the end is destructive."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)