NASA's Swift spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center, Florida to prepare it for an October 7 launch window. The spacecraft was carefully transported and unpacked by KSC technicians for its upcoming mission to study the fleeting, but brilliant, Gamma-ray Bursts (or GRBs). GRBs are the most powerful explosions in the Universe, but so far scientists don’t know what causes them. The bursts last for only a few moments and never appear in the same spot twice. A first-of-its-kind observatory, Swift will pinpoint the location of these distant explosions and study them in greater detail than ever before. Swift is designed to react so rapidly to the bursts that astronomers decided to name the mission after a bird that can dive at high speed to catch its target. Scientists are excited about unraveling the mystery of gamma-ray bursts.
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NASA ID
ksc_083104_what_is_swift
Date Created
September 29, 2004
Center
KSC
Media Type
video
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NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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