Once thought to be Russian nuclear bomb tests in space, we now know that they are extremely powerful cosmic explosions, occurring within galaxies so far away that their light takes billions of years to reach us. They explode unpredictably anywhere in the sky. The strength of Swift is in its fast response. It uses on-board artificial intelligence software to point at new targets faster than human controllers ever could. First one telescope finds the Gamma Ray Burst, and then within seconds the other two telescopes swing around and lock onto the position.
Time is of the essence as the gamma rays fade away typically in seconds.
This can tell us exactly where in the sky the explosion occurred, and give us answers about what caused it. Gamma Ray Bursts can act as beacons, briefly showing us parts of the Universe so distant that they lie beyond the reach of even the biggest Earth-bound telescopes. Swift is a NASA mission with international partners in Italy and Great Britain. Swift will be launched in 2003. This document has been approved by the head of department or section.