NASA's long-dead satellite sends unexpected signal
NASA's Relay-2 satellite, silent since 1967, just sent out a super strong radio signal that briefly drowned out everything else in the sky.
The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder caught it on June 13, 2024, and it only lasted for a blink—less than 30 nanoseconds.
Relay-2 went silent in 1967
Launched in 1964 to study Earth's radiation belts, Relay-2 stopped working after its tech failed three years later.
When this new burst showed up, scientists first thought it was some deep-space event but soon realized it actually came from this old satellite still orbiting Earth.
What caused the burst?
Researchers think the burst might have been caused by either static electricity building up or a tiny meteorite hitting the satellite and making a plasma cloud.
This shows that even "dead" satellites can surprise us—and with more space junk piling up, tracking these signals is getting trickier.
More on the topic
The findings help scientists keep tabs on inactive satellites and understand how our crowded space neighborhood is changing.
As more stuff gets launched into orbit (and eventually goes offline), knowing how to spot and handle these surprises will be key for future missions.