The US Space Force They found a small experimental satellite that had been missing in orbit for 25 years. Hopefully, they will be able to keep track of it this time—unlike the last time.
The S73-7 Infra-Red Calibration Balloon The S73-7 Infra-Red Calibration Balloon (IRCB) was not functional after being released from one of the largest Cold War orbital spy camera systems of the Air Force. It failed to inflate to its full size of 26 inches, which made it useless for aiding ground-based equipment in triangulating remote sensing arrays. KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance satellite In 1974, the S73-7 failed to fully inflate while departing from the KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance satellite located about 500 miles above Earth. This malfunction prevented it from aiding ground-based equipment in triangulating remote sensing arrays, making it another piece of space junk.
Observers lost sight of the IRCB shortly after it was released, then rediscovered the small satellite in the early 1990s, only to lose it again. Now, after 25 years, the US's 18th Space Defense Squadron has found the experimental device. Space ForceThe US's 18th Space Defense Squadron has rediscovered the experimental device, as confirmed in a recent post on X by an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The S73-7 satellite has been rediscovered after being untracked for 25 years. New TLEs for object 7244 started appearing on Apr 25. Congrats to whichever @18thSDS analyst made the identification. pic.twitter.com/YJOow5o4ND
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) April 29, 2024
The discovery was confirmed through a recent post on X by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who congratulated the analyst who made the identification. So how does a satellite stay missing for years, not once but twice? It's actually easier than you might think. As explained on May 1, there are currently over 27,000 objects in orbit, most of which are spent rocket boosters. These and various satellites do not transmit any identifying information back to Earth, so tracking systems must match a detected object to a satellite's expected orbital path to identify it. If you have fairly current radar data and there aren't many objects in a similar orbit, it's usually not difficult to locate satellites. However, it becomes more challenging for sensors to make a match in a crowded area, especially if the target hasn't been seen for some time, like a miniature Infra-Red Calibration Balloon from the 1970s.
It is currently unclear what specific information led Space Force to match their newly detected object with the S73-7. Nevertheless, it is now trackable above everyone's heads. Data from McDowell indicates that the balloon has only descended approximately 9 miles from its original 500 mile altitude, so it will take some time before it succumbs to gravity and burns up in the atmosphere. Accounting for all objects in orbit may sometimes be taken for granted, but it is an essential aspect of humanity's growing reliance on satellite arrays and the future of space travel. Gizmodo It is vital for humanity's increasing dependence on satellite arrays and the future of space travel.
Some space junk was hit by more space junk, complicating cleanup..]
If you have relatively up-to-date radar data and there aren't many objects in a similar orbit, it isn't usually hard to pinpoint satellites. However, it becomes more difficult for sensors to match in a crowded area, especially if you haven't seen your target for a while, such as a miniature Infra-Red Calibration Balloon from the 1970s.
It is currently unclear what specific information led Space Force to match their newly detected object with the S73-7. However, this discovery makes it at least traceable above everyone's heads. According to McDowell's data, the balloon has only descended roughly 9 miles from its original 500 mile altitude, so it will take some time before it succumbs to gravity and burns up in the atmosphere. It is a critical component of humanity's increasing reliance on satellite arrays and the overall future of space travel. It's not the first time the small spy balloon has gone missing.
