Astronomers detect strong radio signal from NASA satellite inactive for nearly 60 years

Astrônomos and Austrália picked up a very strong radio signal in June 2024. The emission came from a point close to Terra and lasted for fractions of a second. For an instant, the pulse outshone all other objects in the sky. The origin of the signal left the team perplexed.

The event took place on June 13th. The ASKAP telescope, west of Austrália, recorded the pulse. The researchers were looking for fast radio bursts, known as FRBs, which often come from distant galaxies. The data showed something different.

Sinal was tracked to satellite Relay 2

The analysis located the source about 4,500 kilometers away. The calculations indicated the Relay 2 satellite, from Nasa. Lançado in 1964, the equipment stopped working in 1967 and has been orbiting Terra since then without active signals.

• The pulse lasted less than 30 nanoseconds.
• The frequency varied between 695.5 and 1,031.5 megahertz.
• The intensity was enough to momentarily overshadow other sources.
• The position coincided exactly with Relay 2’s known orbit.
• Nenhum another satellite was in the same region at the time.

The identification came from databases of objects in orbit. The team crossed schedules and positions. The result pointed to NORAD ID 737, which corresponds to Relay 2.

Telescópio ASKAP recorded pulse during routine search

The instrument is in the Austrália Ocidental state. Ele has 36 satellite dishes. Cada one is equivalent in height to a three-story building. Research led by Clancy James of Universidade Curtin often hunts for FRBs coming from the deep cosmos.

The pulse appeared suddenly. James described it as an incredibly powerful radio burst in milliseconds. At first, the hypothesis was a magnetar, a neutron star with an extreme magnetic field. The data changed the direction of the investigation.

Causa is likely an electrical discharge on the inactive satellite

Relay 2 no longer has operating systems. Especialistas consider it unlikely that the equipment has returned to operation. A plausible explanation is the accumulation of static charge. In regions with charged particles above the atmosphere, a spark could generate the radio pulse.

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The phenomenon raises questions about space debris. Milhares of inactive objects circle Terra. Alguns may emit unexpected signals under specific conditions. The case helps to understand interference in astronomical observations.

Estudo was detailed in a scientific article

The team published the results in 2025. The paper appears on The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Ele describes the pulse as nanosecond in duration originating from the disabled satellite. The analysis used time delays close to the field.

The researchers emphasize that the event does not represent an immediate risk. Ele serves as an alert to distinguish artificial signals from natural phenomena. Observatórios need to consider nearby sources when classifying bursts.

Relay 2 was a communications satellite. Ele operated for a few years at the beginning of the space age. Depois’s more than five decades of silence, the brief pulse drew attention to the aging of objects in orbit.

Implicações for Near Space Monitoring

The detection reinforces the need to accurately track orbital debris. Dead Satélites may generate unexpected emissions. Isso affects both astronomy and the operation of new equipment in low orbit.

The team continues to analyze ASKAP data. Outros observatories can verify similar occurrences. The case shows how old technology still interacts with the space environment.