Russia has lost control of its space radio telescope Spektr-R, also known as RadioAstron. The satellite stopped responding to commands from Earth on the morning of January 11, reports the BBC, and attempts to revive the radio link have been unsuccessful.
“Specialists of the Main Operational Group of Spacecraft Control are carrying out work to remove the existing problems,” according to a statement from Roscosmos, the space agency of the Russian Federation.
Even though control is lost, Astro Space Centre Chief Nikolai Kardashev told the BBC that the satellite is still transmitting scientific data.
“I cannot bury a satellite which is alive for sure,” says Yuri Kovalev, head of research for the Spektr-R project, to AFP in written comments.
“There is still hope,” continues Kovalev, according to the BBC.
The telescope, which has an onboard antenna that’s 33 ft (10 m) long, launched in 2011, and has operated well beyond its 5-year lifespan, according to Roskosmos.
Spektr-R’s successor will be the Spektr-RG satellite, which is schedule to launch later this year.
Although Spektr-R may be on the last legs of its journey, new radio telescopes continue to make exciting discoveries. Recently, the Canadian telescope CHIME picked up 13 fast radio bursts (FRB) from deep space, with one out of the bunch flaunting something special—the second-ever recorded FRB that repeats.
