NASA has successfully reestablished communication with one of its two Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites, known as TRACERS, which experienced issues shortly after its launch on July 23, 2023. On September 11, NASA announced that contact was restored with SV1, while its twin satellite, SV2, had completed its post-launch commissioning without any complications.
SV1 encountered a power subsystem issue just two days post-launch, leading to intermittent communication signals. NASA reported on August 5 that SV1 was only operational when its solar arrays were exposed to sunlight. Controllers aimed to restore communications later in August when the solar arrays would be optimally aligned to the sun, but the update on September 11 marked the first official word from NASA since early August.
Mission Objectives and Current Status
The TRACERS mission aims to utilize both satellites to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic field, passing through the same region of space with a time gap of up to two minutes. The functionality of the mission could be impacted if only one satellite, constructed by Millennium Space Systems, is operational.
NASA’s September 11 statement, while confirming the restoration of contact, did not provide additional details regarding the root cause of the initial communication failure. The mission team is actively working to recover SV1 and establish science operations. According to the agency, partners and the spacecraft manufacturer, NovaWurks, have successfully identified SV1’s location and are focused on restoring full communications.
On August 5, NASA indicated that SV1 had not transmitted a beacon signal since its launch, complicating the efforts to locate and command the satellite. The agency’s latest update emphasized the ongoing efforts to determine the factors contributing to the communication failures.
Other Payloads and Developments
In contrast to the challenges faced by SV1, other payloads from the same launch are performing well. Notably, NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal, or PExT, is operational aboard the Bard satellite, developed by York Space Systems. PExT is conducting tests across various satellite communication networks, including NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system, alongside commercial services.
NASA announced on September 9 that the commissioning phase for Bard was complete, and PExT commissioning is currently underway, with expectations to conclude by the end of September.
As the situation with SV1 continues to develop, NASA remains committed to resolving the issues and advancing the mission’s scientific goals. The recovery efforts highlight the agency’s resilience and dedication to exploring the complexities of space weather and its effects on Earth’s environment.
