American Satellite Abandoned In 1967 Mysteriously Comes Back Online after 50 years!

originally posted by: MarioOnTheFly
a reply to: 0bserver1

It has been suggested that, after 46 years, the batteries have failed in a manner that allows them to carry charge directly through to the transmitter on 237 MHz, allowing it to start up when it is in sunlight.

Hm...I find it...somewhat unbelievable. Though admittedly...I know jack sh** about satellite technology.

As far as I understand it...it wasnt transmitting for 40 years or it wasnt detected to be transmitting for 40 years ? If it wasnt transmitting at all...the theory would than state that once the degradation of the onboard battery was sever enough...the thing started working again...? or...the thing was circulating and transmitting for 40 years and we're completely unaware of it...and then we ask...were are the aliens...why arent we seeing them ?

The answer is as always...right in front of our eyes.

Maybe it was captured and studied by .. . erm . .. something/one, then put back.

Most likely that the batteries degraded to a point that the internals made a solid connection, similar to how you would bridge a blown fuse wire with a solid metal rod (I.E Nail), thus it getting direct power from the solar panels when they are lit up, or a small micro-meteorite/s banged into the right area to do the same job, but the former is more likely.

It is pretty cool.

originally posted by: ketsuko
We still have whales right? It can only talk to the whales ...

Yep but strangely the dolphins seem to be gone...

originally posted by: Thill

originally posted by: ketsuko
We still have whales right? It can only talk to the whales ...

Yep but strangely the dolphins seem to be gone...

Don't panic!


Oh, and grab your towel.

originally posted by: pianopraze

originally posted by: Thill

originally posted by: ketsuko
We still have whales right? It can only talk to the whales ...

Yep but strangely the dolphins seem to be gone...

Don't panic!


Oh, and grab your towel.

Of course. I never leave the house without my towel.. That would be just, just unprofessional.

originally posted by: MuonToGluon
Most likely that the batteries degraded to a point that the internals made a solid connection, similar to how you would bridge a blown fuse wire with a solid metal rod (I.E Nail), thus it getting direct power from the solar panels when they are lit up, or a small micro-meteorite/s banged into the right area to do the same job, but the former is more likely.

It is pretty cool.

I dont find any of these to be very likely...but what do I know.

a reply to: doobydoll

Maybe it was captured and studied by .. . erm . .. something/one, then put back.

I had a similar thought

Maybe we repaired it for practice.

a reply to: MarioOnTheFly

I find it likely; The solar panels still produce power even without connection to battery relays on, with enough heat and degradation of the 50s/60s era batteries and circuitry it would stand a pretty good chance of bridging a connection, in this case it degraded in the right way to bridge a relay, with more time the satellite itself may die all together with further degradation.

Has there been anymore updates since 2013?

originally posted by: Bedlam
Maybe we repaired it for practice.

First thing that came to mind.

a reply to: LeviB

Cool thought, wouldn't that be cool if we were told next year that DARPA pushed a repair bot or what ever device that could repair it. That would be a huge milestone and that is understating it.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: MarioOnTheFly

Maybe it got hit by a space rock or piece of space junk and jarred it in such a manner that it started to work again, obviously if you can't fix it with the hammer it's an electrical problem

I have always wondered what sort of asses get chewed and what does it sound like when something like one of these zillion $ sats just doesn't turn on or something.


Any way Borg using it.....stand by

This is so awesome! My dad would have been thrilled by this news -- he was an inventor, worked with Bill Lear (of Lear Jet) very closely for years, really into Heath Kits, he was a pilot, and electrical and mechanical engineer as well....

In fact, who knows, he left his body here six years ago --- maybe he was up there working on this thing?!!! So - that proves it, then. Life after death. My dad fixed that satellite.

He could fix ANYTHING.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Your dad must have had some good stories, got any to put in a thread, PLEASE!!!

What are the odds that this satellite chose the very top of the VHF band to transmit on?
The wavelength in millimeters is the product of the 3 consecutive Thabit primes 5,11 and 23 but that is likely just coincidence.

a reply to: seasonal

I remember before he died I was staying with him while my mom went on a holiday over Christmas and New Years, with his sister-in-law and step-sister......

He had an atomic clock on the wall. I noticed at one point that it was the wrong time. I pointed it out to him, and we both got extremely puzzled. I got on the computer, and we talked about how atomic clocks work.....and watched the thing for the next couple of days.

IIRC, there were solar flares at the time....?????? It corrected itself, but we really had no idea how it could have done that jumping about......


Yeah - anyway, I am in possession of his Bulova Accutron watch, vintage 1968 I believe....mom got it for him for their tenth anniversary. It was his favorite thing. I always sat on his left at dinner (he at the head of the table, my brothers across, and my mom at the other end)....and learned how to read other people's watches during those meals. He was a lefty, though - and usually people wear their watch on the opposite arm --- he did not. So yes, I'm adept at that. And I do that still, to this day!!


Anyway - the Accutron (which has a transparent "face" - only hands, no dial marks) was his pride and joy. It stopped working one day. He was unable to find a way to fix it.

I asked mom for it one year about 10 years ago so I could get it fixed for him. I did find a jeweler who happened to have a battery that was compatible. For Father's Day, I gave him his Accutron, then working.

Sadly, about two months later, it stopped working again. We were both disappointed.



The day he died there at home, I stayed over with mom. He had been picked up.....I had been the only one who walked out to the minivan "hearse" with him on the gurney. I stayed the night with my mom.

My brothers were not there. The next morning, Mom gave me that Accutron. I put it on my wrist and noted the time, to the second. A short time later while thinking of him and crying, I looked at the watch. That second hand had moved forward by 10 seconds. It had been frozen in place since long before he died.

I like to believe it was he letting me know he's okay....before he died, I asked him: If you go anywhere before I see you again, will you let me know where you are so I can find you? He said he would.

I have lots of other stories, but that'll do for now. I miss him.
Thanks for your interest...

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Thank you, I can tell you are still thinking of him, maybe daily. You will "see" him again.

And your dad's watch moving, this isn't the first time I have heard of this. A close friend of mine died and he had a very ornate clock that sat on his television. It never worked, a clock repair guy said it was was too much $ to fix. My friend passed away and his wife was sitting the day after he died in the living room and the clock chimed 4 times.


Thanks again for sharing

a reply to: seasonal

Wow! Thanks for sharing that story too!!!
One more little thing: I remember vividly him taking an 8mm home movie of the television during the moon landing (YES, I BELIEVE THE MOON LANDING WAS REAL) and he was so excited about it.


anyway - yes, the watch.
It is what I believe, and there have been a couple of other incidents that felt like him. I'm too tired right now to remember them and describe them well. Thanks for posting this fantastic story!

originally posted by: Cauliflower
What are the odds that this satellite chose the very top of the VHF band to transmit on?

Not really the very top, also what other frequency could it have transmitted on?

a reply to: Trueman

Vger was the first thing I thought of to lol