The IMAGE satellite stopped communicating in December 2005. Launched in 2000 to study the Earth's magnetosphere, it had completed its mission in the eyes of NASA. Then, on January 20, 2018, amateur astronomer Scott Tilley detected an unexpected signal from an object in high orbit.
The radio characteristics and the movement of the object direct the research towards IMAGE. Confirmation occurs when data reveals its identifier. To go further, however, engineers must find and adapt old software: hearing the device does not mean immediately knowing how to give it orders.
This rediscovery did not lead to a simple and sustainable recovery. NASA’s 2018 updates describe new contact losses and failed controls. The reversal is therefore twofold: a craft declared lost was still being heard, but its voice found did not guarantee its return to work.
What we know
Chronology2018; distinguished rediscovery of the complete restoration.
To go to the source
References consulted on 3 October 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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