Overview

• On June 13, 2024, researchers using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder detected a sub-30-nanosecond radio pulse that briefly outshone all other sky sources
• Further analysis pinpointed the source to Relay2 orbiting about 20,000 kilometres above Earth, resolving the burst’s unexpected proximity
• Astronomers attribute the intense, brief flash to either an electrostatic discharge or a plasma event following a micrometeoroid impact on the satellite
• The research team has posted a preprint on arXiv and secured acceptance of their findings in The Astrophysical Journal
• Scientists say the detection offers a potential new technique for remote sensing of satellite charging and monitoring growing space debris