NASA has called off its mission to rescue the aging Swift space telescope due to a persistent altitude control problem, leading to the satellite's eventual re-entry and burn-up in the atmosphere. The agency confirmed the failure of the attempted rescue, which aimed to prevent the telescope from falling out of orbit.

NASA has launched a robotic mission to save the Swift space telescope, which has lost its orbit and is at risk of falling back to Earth. The operation aims to boost the 3,200-pound observatory back into a stable orbit over several weeks.