Intro music.
After blasting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in November 2004, NASA's Swift spacecraft wasted no time
in getting down to the business of spotting gamma-ray bursts.
Just after opening its doors in December, Swift detected a flurry of bursts.
Scientists were still calibrating the main instrument -- the Burst Alert Telescope --
when the first burst appeared on Dec. 17.
They witnessed four more over the following few days, leading scientists to wonder
if they previously underestimated the true rate at which these powerful events occur.
Swift's primary goal is to unravel the mystery of these random and fleeting explosions.
Once all three instruments onboard are turned on and calibrated, they can begin analyzing the bursts.
Swift's three telescopes are designed to work together to quickly pinpoint gamma-ray bursts
and observe their afterglows in the gamma-ray, X-ray and optical wavebands.
During its two-year mission, Swift is expected to observe more than 200 bursts and afterglows,
which will represent the most comprehensive study of gamma-ray burst afterglow to date.