After 14 years - lost NASA satellite reappeared

Often things you've lost reappear unexpectedly. This was also experienced by NASA, which was able to find a lost satellite by accident.
The probability of finding a satellite again in the depths of space whose signal to Earth was aborted is rather low. Nevertheless, NASA was now able to locate the satellite "Image", whose contact to the ground had already broken off 14 years ago.
However, it was not the space agency itself that tracked down the spacecraft. Here a Canadian hobby astronomer came to NASA's aid.

Hobby astronomer helps NASA

Scott Tilley, the name of the discoverer of "Image", was actually looking for another satellite. According to the Washington Post, Tilley actually wanted to find the "Zuma" satellite, which was classified as secret by the US government and is also considered lost.
Although the amateur researcher could not announce a breakthrough here, he came across the signal of "Image". It seems that the satellite used a solar eclipse a few years ago to reset its own battery. With success, because since then "Image" sends a signal again.
Since NASA no longer expected a message from the lost missile, no one was looking for a signal.

NASA was skeptical at first

The space agency is said to have been skeptical about Tilley at first, writes the Washington Post. After Tilley and NASA had exchanged some emails and NASA was able to check his allegations, the agency itself now announced that it was actually the lost satellite.
Researchers around the world now hope that some data stored by the satellite over the past few years can still be recovered. Whether this is possible, however, remains questionable. "Image" has long since left its original career.
NASA sends satellites into space in 2000
"Image" was sent into space as early as 2000 to map the Earth's magnetosphere from there. In 2005 the contact to "Image" broke off, after an unsuccessful search NASA declared the project finished.
"Image was used to catalyze the Earth's magnetosphere. Other satellites, on the other hand, serve completely different purposes. Researchers are thinking about using satellites to protect sharks. Amazon even wants to use 3,236 satellites to guarantee fast Internet worldwide.