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

WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2023

ITALIAN PRESIDENT, SERGIO MATTARELLA, VISITS THE “LUIGI BROGLIO” SPACE CENTER IN MALINDI ‣

President Mattarella's first Official Visit to Kenya. Watch the video on AsiTV MORE...

THURSDAY 23 MARCH 2023

SPEI SATELLES: A SPACE MISSION TO BRING A MESSAGE OF HOPE TO ALL HUMANITY ‣

The space mission, its genesis, its details and its prospects, will be communicated at 10.30 on 27 March, the third anniversary of the Statio Orbis and the tenth of the pontificate of Pope Francis - Sala Marconi, Piazza Pia 3 Rome MORE...

TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2023

The 13th Farinella Prize ‣

The prize is assigned during the EPSC annual meetings MORE...

FRIDAY 03 MARCH 2023

PRISMA in support of the ESA EO Africa initiative ‣

The ASI hyperspectral satellite acquires in Kenya for the HyRELIEF project funded by ESA MORE...

WEDNESDAY 01 MARCH 2023

Agreement between the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Italian Space Agency for heritage study and protection ‣

“Eyes” in space to protect  our national cultural heritage. Cultural heritage data collection kicks off through the COSMO-SkyMed system developed by ASI in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense MORE...