An awkward-looking spherical satellite the size of a grapefruit was launched in March 1958 and placed into a high elliptical orbit. The satellite, named Avangard 1, was a test of launch capabilities in the early days of the historic space age. Other satellites of the time entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned in a fiery death, but Avangard-1 is still in orbit, silently cutting through the cosmic void. A team of researchers and engineers wants to return the satellite for more detailed study and is currently working to find a way to bring Vanguard-1 home.
Vanguard 1 is the second American satellite to be launched into space. Conceived by the Naval Research Laboratory in 1955, it was designed to test the launch capabilities of a three-stage launch vehicle and the effects of the harsh space environment on the satellite. Today, it remains the oldest artificial object in Earth orbit. A team of researchers and engineers from the Virginia-based consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton has developed a proposal on how to return the satellite from space to Earth to study how its equipment has performed over the years, according to a report by Space.com. The team’s proposal is detailed in a study published in the Center for Aerospace Studies earlier this year.
Vanguard 1 went silent in 1964, but tracking data shows its location and orbit. The satellite survived for so long because of its location in a highly elliptical orbit, unlike the Soviet satellites and the American Explorer 1, which fell to Earth within months or years due to atmospheric drag in low Earth orbit. If it can be returned, Avangard-1 will become the oldest satellite ever to return to Earth.
Researchers suggest that the satellite could be placed in a lower orbit and captured from space, or beckoned to the International Space Station. In 1984, NASA used its astronauts to capture a satellite during a spacewalk using a jetpack known as a manned maneuvering module. The Westar 6 and Palapa B2 communications satellites ended up in the wrong orbits after a rocket upper stage malfunctioned, so the space agency sent astronauts to recover the wayward but otherwise functional spacecraft, according to NASA. The satellites were placed in the Space Shuttle’s payload bay and returned to Earth.
Given the age of Vanguard-1, astronauts will have to handle it carefully, the authors of the proposal believe. Before attempting to lift the satellite, the team proposes to send a spacecraft to meet the satellite to check its condition up close. The engineers suggested working with a wealthy space enthusiast who is willing to finance the space adventure, or using a SpaceX vehicle to bring the satellite home.
Upon returning to Earth, experts will inspect Vanguard-1 to assess its condition – whether it has been damaged by space debris, whether it is still holding together, and how the time in orbit has affected the satellite. The satellite could then be placed on display at the Smithsonian Institution as a kind of time capsule reminiscent of the history of space flight, the team suggests.
“Future missions (space debris removal, capture of materials for manufacturing in orbit, and even deep space exploration) could be based on technologies demonstrated in the Vanguard 1 return,” the article says. “The return of Vanguard 1 will be a challenging task, but an achievable and invaluable step forward for the entire U.S. space community.”
