Lofted into orbit in November 2007, this Defense Support Program (DSP) spacecraft apparently went belly-up the following year. Making matters worse, DSP-23 died before it could be nudged into a graveyard orbit, where it would no longer be a collision threat for other satellites.

But, fingers are crossed at SES ASTRA — operator of the ASTRA Satellite System that provides satellite services in Europe — regarding the meanderings of DSP-23.

The satellite is one of a constellation of Earth-staring spacecraft designed to spot orbits rocket launches, nuclear blasts, as well as gather other types of technical intelligence from their 22,300-mile (35,888-km) geosynchronous (GEO).