A satellite, which was launched in 1974, disappeared from ground-based sensors in the 1990s, has been finally found after 25 years.
Presenting hazards within an increasingly crowded Earth orbit, some dysfunctional satellites or debris can often go missing for years.
However, the question of how exactly this happens eagers a lot of people.
The disappeared satellite named as Infra-Red Calibration Balloon (S73-7) was part of the United States Air Force’s Space Test Program.
Boosting it to a 500 mile (800 kilometres) circular orbit, a big reconnaissance satellite, called KH-9 Hexagon, ejected the 26-inch-wide (66-centimeter-wide) satellite, after launching on April 10, 1974.
The tiny satellite was expected to inflate in orbit and serve as a calibration target for remote sensing equipment. However, its deployment failed, making it another piece of space trash.
After being untracked for the past 25 years, the satellite was found again earlier this week, according to tracking data from the Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron.
“The problem is that it possibly has a very low radar cross section,” McDowell told Gizmodo over the phone.
“And maybe the thing that they’re tracking is a dispenser or a piece of the balloon that didn’t deploy right, so it’s not metal and doesn’t show up well on radar.”
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
