This is the case with NASA’s Relay 2 satellite, which took off in 1964 until its transponders glitched. It hung dead in near-Earth orbit by 1967 and has beamed nothing down since—until now.

Satellites that retire are deorbited into a graveyard orbit within 25 years of their missions ending. This is the case with NASA’s Relay 2 satellite, which took off in 1964 until its transponders ...

A short but powerful radio signal has left astronomers stunned — not because of its strength, but because of its source. In June 2024, researchers operating the Australian Square Kilometre Array ...

This prototype of Relay 1 is covered with solar cells. The antenna on top is for receiving and transmitting communications signals; those at its base are for telemetry, tracking, and control. In orbit ...