SWIFT is MIDEX-NASA class mission, targeted at high-energy astrophysics and designed in cooperation with Italy and United Kingdom. Swift is a multi-band observatory which follows the experience acquired with the BeppoSAX satellite. It was successfully launched on November 20th, 2004 and all the on-board instruments worked immediately and regularly, producing data of high scientific quality.

So far hundreds of scientific works were published in peer referee journals, among which several articles announcing important discoveries in the prestigious Nature and Science journals. The scientific excellence of the results was recognised in 2007, when the scientific team who took part in the mission was awarded with the Bruno Rossi award by the American Astronomical Society.

Swift is a space observatory capable of observing, quickly and independently, explosive sources such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB) and other transient celestial events, by using its three on-board instruments: the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and the Ultra Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT).

From a scientific point of view, Swift aims at finding the origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB), using them to study the distant Universe and carrying out a survey of the celestial sphere in the 15-100 keV band with the BAT instrument.

Italy contributes to the Swift project by providing the following instruments: mirror of XRT telescope and its calibration, the Malindi base and ASI-NET, scientific software and archive at the ASDC. The Italian scientific teams participate very actively in the scientific activities of the mission.

‣ News

FRIDAY 20 DECEMBER 2024

COSMO-SkyMed carried out radar acquisitions to analyse tanker collision in the Black Sea ‣

On Sunday 15th December, bad weather conditions led to an accident involving two oil tankers, resulting in an oil spill in the Kerch Strait. Through COSMO-SkyMed satellites by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and Ministero della Difesa, e-GEOS carried out Radar acquisitions to analyse the area affected by the possible presence of spills from tankers. In the following image, processed via the e-GEOS SEonSE application platform for maritime domain monitoring, the positions and characteristics of the identified oil spills are highlighted. Photo credit:  Black Sea. COSMO-SkyMed Image © ASI. Processed and distributed by e-GEOS                 Image details: COSMO-SkyMed ORDER ID =  3186470 e-GEOS ORDER NUMBER = 24F29157-15 AREA NAME = Feasibility_MN_CSK Product Number 1 ACQUISITION MODE =  STR_HIMAGE ORBIT PASS =  ASCENDING LOOKING MODE =  RIGHT PROCESSING LEVEL =  DGM_B ACQUISITION START TIME =  2024-12-19 02:57:22.528192 ACQUISITION STOP TIME =  2024-12-19 02:57:29.233727 SATELLITE =  SAR1 PRODUCT_FILE_NAME = CSKS1_DGM_B_HI_0A_VV_RA_FF_20241219025723_20241219025729.h5

WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2024

Memorandum of Understanding signed between ASI and the Commissioner General’s Office for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka ‣

The protocol is intended to promote national excellence in technologies applied to the space and aerospace industries MORE...

TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2024

Listening to cochlear sounds to estimate intracranial pressure changes on the ISS ‣

New results from the ASI experiment Acoustic Diagnostics MORE...

TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2024

JUICE’s RIME Radar Pings the Moon and Listens to Earth ‣

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, Juice, launched the 14th April 2023, will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of the state-of-the-art instruments MORE...

TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2024

CUBESAT Training Course ‣

From October 28 to November 8, 2024 MORE...