NASA has spent $30 million US in an attempt to raise the sinking Swift Observatory, which has been operating for 20 years, but on Wednesday called off the rescue mission.

The mission to save NASA's sinking space telescope has been called off. NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies announced the news Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 : A mission to rescue NASA's aging SWIFT observatory in space was canceled on Wednesday after the spacecraft that had been deployed to raise the telescope's…

Swift launched in 2004 to study powerful explosions such as gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic objects and phenomena.

It’s expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year.