A Day in the Life of Swift
Swift orbits Earth every 96 minutes, cycling through automated science observations, ground contact windows, and around-the-clock support from flight and science operations teams.
- Flight operations engineers monitor spacecraft health and execute uplinks every orbit.
- Science operations planners build and refine the daily observation schedule.
- Automated onboard triggers allow immediate follow-up of gamma-ray bursts.
Swift Orbit Example
Orbital period ≈ 96 minutes
Flight Operations Team Schedule
Science Operations Team Schedule
Science Plan Example
Ground Network
