ISEE-3 Reboot Project - Recovering a 30 year old space probe.

ISEE-3 was a spacecraft launched in 1978 which originally examined the solar wind and plasma environments around the edges of the Earth-Moon system. In the Early 80's some fancy orbital mechanics and a lunar gravity assist was used to put the spacecraft into deep space to encounter a couple of comets. Now 30 years later it's coming back to Earth and could use some more orbital mechanics trickery to bring it back into earth's orbit, the only problem is that the technology required to talk to the spacecraft has been 'retired'. So a team at Skycorp is racing against time to build a replacement and command the spacecraft back into a captured orbit.

[armandomercado]

5 years ago. Time flies. Sadly, ISEE-3 ran out the nitrogen to pressurize the propulsion system and could not be captured in earth orbit. After earth flyby it stopped transmitting because of less solar input in its new orbit which took it further from the sun.

[thunderfox]

I am 9 years late but my goodness is it cool that a small team of engineers managed to reestablish contact with a 1970s solar ice probe very fascinating and well I understand the probes engines were unfortunately dead the fact they got the spacecraft rebooted and transmitting at all is just really cool

[feelxger]

Just watched Balint Seeber's talk about how he and his team managed to talk to the probe via Arecibo with only a laptop running GNU-Radio and a USRP, a freely programmable premium software defined radio.

While the hydrazine fuel onboard was still way more than needed to perform the maneuver (and indeed they did fire, but only for a split second), it's most likely that the nitrogen needed to push the hydrazine into the engines and out of the fuel tanks has leaked over the decades to a point where the engines could not get a sustained flow of fuel. Shown in Balint's talks, (search for: "Hacking the Wireless World with Software Defined Radio - 2.0" @ 52:10) they did get a short impulse of acceleration, I suspect fuel left in the engines themselves and/or fuel lines running to them being still under some pressure.

For me most noteworthy is that they managed to emulate the old NASA modem protocols in open source software run on just a laptop, namely mentioned GNU-Radio.

[Amdrel]

Just donated, I really want to see this happen!

[ninboy]

This is very cool. Nice upload Scott.

[devanthomas]

That's SOOO COOL!
I have always been interested in older tech.

[vigilantecow]

This space probe is the pimp of space probes.

[flyingphent]

I would love to see you do more of these, Scott. Not necessarily the visits, but your explanations of things are so clear and easy to understand. I'm sure there are lot of crowdfunding projects about space that never get off the ground because lack of exposure leads to lack of funding, and I'm always eager to help support projects like this. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[TheTwistedbeaver]

I'd love to see more interviews and such with guys from NASA on your channel (or even other space agencies, retired astronauts / cosmonauts, scientists astronomers ect ). you make it so interesting, and by the end of the interview the guy was becoming so much more relaxed

[ImpassiveKillJoy]

I am not able to donate to this but I will share this threw the small community I am with. Thanks for making this video Scott Manley.

[reddeath]

I was over there a couple months ago, facinating work these guys are doing

[Hunne]

thanks again to Scott a thing that I would´ve mostly never stumbled across came to my attention - great work, dude!

[balderdash]

I just donated and pushed you over 90%! I really hope this gets funded!

[dom_h]

Could someone with a large enough antenna tell the satellite to burn in any direction? Would this be illegal? Is there any encryption involved?

[FlyMario]

wow this is fascinating! I am impressed that they are permitting the connection and the adjustment of this crafts orbit.  Way to go!

[christianohkler]

I heard about this mission a few years ago and the fact of it made me exited, now hearing that someone actually wants to reuse it makes me even more exited

[Cooliotso]

I felt that it would be a good idea to donate $5. I don't have a pile of money, but I really want this mission to be successful!

[explodingshroom]

Was hoping he'd say, well in your case, you should call it a BALD plan *nudge nudge*

[ThePokeman]

I don't have any money to give but they have my hopes for a successful return to orbit!

[tchaugh]

if i had the money i would help this project along but alas i have none to spare. not even a penny. so the best i can say is good work guys and i hope your project comes long alright. good luck and god speed.