US Space Scientists Rediscover Satellite Missing For 25 Years

After 25 years, the US Space Force rediscovered it, raising questions about space junk tracking and management.

In a case of cosmic hide-and-seek, the US Space Force has located a tiny, experimental satellite that went missing in orbit for a staggering 25 years. 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

The satellite, named S73-7 Infra-Red Calibration Balloon (IRCB), was launched in 1974 alongside a massive Cold War-era spy satellite. Unfortunately, upon deployment, the IRCB malfunctioned and never inflated to its intended size, rendering it useless for its intended purpose.

Adding to its misfortune, astronomers soon lost track of the wayward satellite. Remarkably, they managed to relocate it in the 1990s, only to lose sight of it again. Now, after another quarter-century, the watchful eye of the 18th Space Defence Squadron has spotted the IRCB once more.