Japan Loses Contact with New X-Ray Satellite

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently lost communication with the latest Japanese X-ray satellite, according to its press release.

Launched on February 17, it was designed to gather scientific data based on X-ray signals from various objects in the observable universe, like black holes and clusters of galaxies.

The satellite, named X-ray Astronomy Satellite "Hitomi," or ASTRO-H, failed to send back relevant data on Saturday. JAXA said it was able to receive a short signal from the satellite and it is still working to re-establish contact.

JAXA's spokeperson Izumi Yoshizaki said the space agency has been striving to restore full communication with ASTRO-H since Saturday but has been unsuccessful. No definitive answer is given as to what could be its exact status.

It is possible that the satellite has already splintered into several pieces. Confirmation is yet to be received from the US Joint Space Operation Center, which reportedly detected five objects in the satellite's vicinity around the same time it stopped sending signals.

The center is an institution that monitors and identifies space objects, particularly those that are orbiting the Earth or for potential threats.

An article published by Japan Today mentioned Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He suspected that Hitomi probably experienced a gas battery explosion or gas leak, sending it tumbling in space.

It is possible that the satellite is still intact but unable to correct its course and point its antenna to the control center. If Hitomi continues to tumble in its orbit, its solar panels may not be able to receive sufficient amount of sunlight to recharge the batteries.

The satellite batteries may eventually be exhausted before any communication link is re-established.

Other partners such as NASA, the European Space Agency, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research and the Canadian Space Agency are also helping to track the rouge satellite.