Lost satellite 'brought back to life' after a month - scientists talk of a miracle

Communication with one of the satellites of the Proba-3 mission was lost on 14 February. The satellite lost its orientation in space, causing its solar panels to turn away from the Sun, and the batteries began to run down.

As a result, the satellite went into survival mode and actually "shut up", drifting in space without communication with Earth.

A few weeks later, however, the unexpected happened.

Details

According to the head of ESA Josef Aschbacher, "something like a miracle happened" - experts noticed that the solar panels of the satellite still began to get light.

This was enough to supply minimal power and try to restore communication. The team took advantage of the moment - and the signal was returned.

Now the panels are again directed at the Sun, and the apparatus began to charge. In the near future, engineers plan to switch on the instruments and check how badly it has been damaged.

"Getting a signal from the coronograph is terrific news and a huge relief," said mission manager Damien Galano.

Why it matters

The Proba-3 mission remains important to science. It allows us to study the solar corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere, which is difficult to observe from Earth.

It uses two satellites that fly in precise formation to create the effect of an artificial solar eclipse.

If the craft is fully recovered, scientists will be able to continue the observations, which provide hours of data each week - far more than the rare eclipses on Earth.

Background

The Proba-3 mission was launched in 2024 and is scheduled to last two years. It uses a unique technology - two satellites working as a single system to study the Sun.

The solar corona remains one of the least studied regions of the star, despite its key role in space weather.

Source

Phys.org with reference to the European Space Agency (ESA), AFP