NEOWISE launched in 2009, tasked with scanning the skys infrared signals.
Despite this setback, the telescope was then assigned to survey the asteroid belts in our solar system.
It detected 215 near-Earth objects and 25 new comets.
This final image captured by NASA’s NEOWISE shows part of the Fornax constellation.NASA/JPL-Caltech/IPAC/UCLA
NASA announced the telescopesimpending retirementin December.
An uptick in solar activity led to the Earths atmosphere heating up and expanding, creating increased atmospheric drag.
That meant a decrease in NEOWISEs altitude.
With this image of the Fornax constellation, NEOWISE’s watch has ended. © NASA/JPL-Caltech/IPAC/UCLA
The satellite will soon burn up in Earths atmosphere.
NASA wont be without eyes in space looking for potentially hazardous objects for long.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
NASA’s NEOWISE was instructed to shut off its transmitter, bringing an end to its mission of scanning for near-Earth objects. © NASA/JPL-Caltech
