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If you're going to lose something, space is just nearly the worst possible place. It's literally the biggest thing there is, then what are your chances of finding it over again? NASA has spent the terminal two years looking for the STEREO-B satellite, 1 one-half of the STEREO mission to monitor the sun. Over the weekend, the NASA team was able to make contact with the lost spacecraft, leading to hope that the mission could be back at full power in the not-too-distant futurity.

The STEREO satellites are more than properly known as Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories. They were launched into orbit effectually the sun in 2006 with the aim of providing total 360-caste observation of our friendly neighborhood star. The two satellites were maneuvered into orbits on the other side of the dominicus from Earth. With Earth-based observatories and the STEREO satellites together, astronomers could see the entire surface of the sunday. The satellites reach optimal position in 2011 (exactly 180-degrees apart), assuasive them to image the entire surface of the lord's day unaided.

The trouble with STEREO-B started in late 2014. NASA realized that due to the nature of the satellite'due south orbit, it would undergo a "solar conjunction" with Earth. That meant the probe would be on the reverse side of the sun and out of contact with NASA for nearly three months. It was supposed to have failsafes in place that would reset the system later on 72 hours with no contact. The STEREO team decided to test that functionality on both satellites. STEREO-A came back online as expected, but STEREO-B disappeared.

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Last year, NASA speculated the organization that tells the spacecraft how fast is is rotating failed, resulting in an inability to control its orientation or keep its solar panels pointed at the sun. However, NASA didn't surrender on little STEREO-B. Every calendar month, the STEREO team dedicated three four-hour blocks of fourth dimension on the Deep Infinite Network to scanning for signals from STEREO-B. Last weekend, they finally spotted it. NASA spent several hours tracking the position and condition of the craft, and so powered information technology down to save the batteries.

The next stride volition be attempting to get the observatory dorsum in working society, but that might accept awhile. NASA first needs to determine its rate of spin, and for that information technology might need to turn to the Hubble telescope. The earliest that could happen in 2019. In the meantime, STEREO-A continues to work commonly.