The European Space Agency (ESA) has miraculously re-established contact with a lost spacecraft, part of its Proba-3 mission simulating solar eclipses. The mission, launched in 2024, uses two satellites flying in precise formation over 60,000 kilometers above Earth. One satellite carries a 1.4-meter shield blocking the sun's light, while the other observes the sun's elusive corona.

On February 14th, the coronagraph-equipped satellite lost orientation, causing its solar panel to point away from the sun and drain its batteries. It entered survival mode, drifting silently through space. Overnight, ESA engineers detected sunlight hitting the panels of the lost craft, using this minimal power to reconnect.

The satellite's solar panel is now oriented towards the sun to recharge. Next, ESA will test the instruments to assess damage.