Pennsylvania · Regional Lead · 2026-10-23
NASA reports Swift operations ended as atmospheric drag increases
The October 23 account describes an October 20 safe-mode transition and preparations for eventual atmospheric re-entry.
NASA reported October 23 that its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory had concluded operations as its orbit declined. The account says the spacecraft reached an altitude of about 171 miles on October 20, where increased atmospheric drag prevented it from compensating effectively and it entered safe mode.
The operations team at Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, then sent a command ending operations in preparation for atmospheric re-entry. NASA expected re-entry in the following weeks; the announcement did not confirm that it had already occurred or establish an exact impact time.
A commercial servicing effort had previously ended without attempting to raise Swift’s orbit. Science observations subsequently resumed, allowing the observatory to examine hundreds of targets, including stellar remnants, active black holes and comets. NASA says that return to observing also increased drag on the spacecraft.
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Science · 2026-10-26
NASA details expanded agricultural data cooperation with USDA
The October 26 release describes an agreement signed October 24 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
NASA announced October 26 that it and the U.S. Department of Agriculture had signed a memorandum expanding cooperation on Earth observation and agricultural data. The agreement was signed October 24 during an event at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The agencies plan to align satellite observations, geospatial analysis and advanced data tools more closely with agricultural needs. Potential areas include crop monitoring, acreage and yield estimation, drought assessment and other natural-hazard applications. The work supports USDA’s broader data-modernization effort.
Read articleNation · 2026-10-25
Sunday fire report records lighter initial attack as eight large fires remain uncontained
The October 25 federal snapshot lists 33 initial-attack fires and 1,225 personnel assigned to reported active incidents.
The National Interagency Coordination Center’s October 25 report records light initial-attack activity, with 33 fires in the preceding reporting period. Eight large fires remain uncontained, while national preparedness is listed at Level 1. The bulletin was issued at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
The active-incident resource summary lists 1,225 personnel, down 49 from the preceding report. It also records 19 crews, 68 engines and eight helicopters. These figures cover the incidents represented in that table rather than every firefighter or emergency resource operating nationwide.
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