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Swift

NSSDC ID: 2004-047A

Description

The Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer is a 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. Burst detection rate is expected to be greater than 100 per year, with a sensitivity ~3 times fainter than the BATSE detector aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The Swift mission has a nominal on-orbit lifetime of two years.

Swift is a NASA Midex (medium-class Explorer) mission. It is the third to be launched, following IMAGE and WMAP.

Alternate Names

  • Explorer 84
  • MIDEX/Swift
  • Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer
  • 28485

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2004-11-20
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 1470.0 kg
Nominal Power: 1040.0 W

Funding Agency

  • NASA-Office of Space Science (United States)

Discipline

  • Astronomy

Additional Information

Experiments on Swift

Data collections from Swift

Questions or comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office.

 

Personnel

Name Role Original Affiliation E-mail
Dr. Neil Gehrels Mission Principal Investigator NASA Goddard Space Flight Center gehrels@lheavx.gsfc.nasa.gov
Mr. Timothy C. Gehringer Project Manager NASA Goddard Space Flight Center timothy.c.gehringer@nasa.gov

US Active Archive for Swift Information/Data

The Swift Data Archive at HEASARC

Other Sources of Swift Information/Data

Swift Project

Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)
Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT)
X-Ray Telescope (XRT)

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