“Dead” NASA Satellite Sends Radio Pulse to Earth After Nearly 60 Years

On June 13, 2024, astronomers using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) detected a lightning-fast radio pulse—lasting less than 30 nanoseconds and peaking above 300 kJy—originating from NASA’s Relay 2 satellite, launched in 1964 and abandoned in 1967

⚡ 6 Astonishing Insights

1. Longest-Silent Satellite to Awaken
   Relay 2 had been inactive for nearly 57 years, yet this burst briefly made it the brightest radio source in the sky
2. Near-Earth Origin—Not Alien Technology
   Signal localization within 12,400 miles confirmed it came from low Earth orbit—not a distant cosmic or alien source
3. Likely Cause: Electrostatic or Impact Event
   Experts believe a sudden electrostatic discharge or a micrometeoroid strike might have triggered the brief plasma emission
4. New Era in Space Debris Observation
   This unexpected signal shows even “dead” satellites can reveal their presence—informing efforts to track space junk and predict malfunctions
5. Followed by Zombie Satellite History
   Relay 2 joins other “zombie satellites” like LES‑1, which resumed transmissions after 46 years in 2012
6. Preprint Research Recognized
   The discovery is documented in a recent arXiv preprint, now accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, spotlighting the need for monitoring dormant satellites indiatimes

🌍 Why It Matters

• Scientific Curiosity: Offers a rare glimpse into dormant satellite behavior and the physics of orbital decay.
• Space Safety: Highlights need for continuous monitoring of inactive spacecraft to anticipate unexpected emissions or orbital drift.
• Amateur and Professional Collaboration: Reinforces the power of public observatories like ASKAP for real-time space tracking.

🔭 What’s Next?

• Expanded Monitoring: ASKAP and other arrays may monitor more defunct satellites for similar signals.
• Event Frequency Study: Scientists will investigate whether such bursts are common among old spacecraft.
• Space Policy Impacts: Findings could shape space debris mitigation strategies and inform future decommissioning protocols.

✅ Final Takeaway

Relay 2’s fleeting radio pulse—after nearly six decades of silence—marks it a bona fide “zombie satellite.” Likely triggered by a stray plasma event, the incident underscores a surprising new frontier: inactive satellites aren’t always dead, and they can still send signals—impacting space safety, debris tracking, and scientific exploration in unexpected ways.