I think some nefarious aliens may have used it to send a transmission back to their home world. 😉
Dead NASA satellite unexpectedly emits powerful radio pulse
Astronomers are puzzled by a strong burst of radio waves traced back to a NASA satellite that had been inactive since the 1960s
By Alex Wilkins, New Scientist - June 20, 2025
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2485157-dead-nasa-satellite-unexpectedly-emits-powerful-radio-pulse/
A satellite that had been dead for decades suddenly blasted out a powerful radio pulse that briefly outshone every other object in the sky. Astronomers think the flash may have been caused by a freak micrometeorite impact or a random spark.
NASA’s Relay 2 satellite was one of the first functioning satellites, launched in 1964 as an experimental communications device. NASA stopped using it the following year, however, and the satellite’s onboard electronics stopped working altogether by 1967, leaving the dead metal hull to orbit Earth indefinitely. ….
Mysterious, Powerful Radio Pulse Traced Back To NASA Satellite That’s Been Dead Since 1967
The detection could help refine radio astronomy observations and keep spacecraft and satellites safe.
Dr. Alfredo Carpineti, Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent, IFLScience - June 20, 2025
https://www.iflscience.com/mysterious-powerful-radio-pulse-traced-back-to-nasa-satellite-thats-been-dead-since-1967-79712
… One possibility is that the satellite accumulated electrostatic charge, and it finally released a discharge. These ESDs (electrostatic discharges) have previously been seen by the Arecibo telescope, but on longer timescales.
There is also another possible explanation. A micrometeoroid, like the one that stranded astronauts a few years back after hitting the Soyuz spacecraft, can release a cloud of plasma at impact. That could cause such a signal. If it is an ESD, studying it could help researchers protect spacecraft from these events. And while you can’t stop a micrometeoroid, measuring these events can help remove them from radio wave observations. …