{"id":66105,"date":"2026-05-21T06:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=66105"},"modified":"2026-05-21T06:55:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:55:33","slug":"still-sending-telemetry-after-60-years-the-navy-satellite-that-refuses-to-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/still-sending-telemetry-after-60-years-the-navy-satellite-that-refuses-to-die\/","title":{"rendered":"Still Sending Telemetry After 60 Years: The Navy Satellite That Refuses to Die"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Transit 5A via Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following article, which explores the story of Transit 5B-5 \u2014 a U.S. Navy satellite launched in 1964 that remains in orbit, continues transmitting telemetry signals, and is still monitored by amateur radio operators around the world more than six decades later. Fueled by a long-lived radioisotope power source and tracked by the SDR and ham radio community, this \u201czombie satellite\u201d stands as a fascinating reminder of Cold War-era engineering built to endure.<\/p>\n

Read the full article here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following article, which explores the story of Transit 5B-5 \u2014 a U.S. Navy satellite launched in 1964 that remains in orbit, continues transmitting telemetry signals, and is still monitored by amateur radio operators around the world more than six decades later. Fueled by a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[2635,11119,8470],"class_list":["post-66105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-dan-robinson","tag-transit-5b-5","tag-zombie-satellites"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-hcd","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15047,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/anniversary-of-sputnik-i-launch-radio-moscow\/","url_meta":{"origin":66105,"position":0},"title":"Anniversary of Sputnik I Launch & Radio Moscow","author":"Thomas","date":"October 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes: Yesterday, 4 October, was the anniversary of the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik I, the first artificial Earth satellite. The launch heralded the beginning of the space age. Sputnik I's Doppler-shifted radio transmissions on 20.005 and 40.002 MHz led to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"radio_moscow_sputnik_card_side1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/radio_moscow_sputnik_card_side1-726x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/radio_moscow_sputnik_card_side1-726x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/radio_moscow_sputnik_card_side1-726x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42983,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/radio-waves-zombie-sats-radio-provides-undemanding-friendship-boom-in-new-stations-and-one-retailers-ham-radio-connection\/","url_meta":{"origin":66105,"position":1},"title":"Radio Waves: Zombie Sats, Radio Provides Undemanding Friendship, Boom in New Stations, and One Retailer’s Ham Radio Connection","author":"Thomas","date":"April 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s Radio Waves, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Philco-Transitone-Radio-Dial.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Philco-Transitone-Radio-Dial.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Philco-Transitone-Radio-Dial.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Philco-Transitone-Radio-Dial.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4487,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/afn-afrts-drops-key-west-transmitters\/","url_meta":{"origin":66105,"position":2},"title":"AFN (AFRTS) drops Key West transmitters","author":"Thomas","date":"September 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Due to budget cuts, the American Forces Network (AFRTS) has decommissioned their Key West, Florida SW frequencies of: 5446, 7811, 12133 kHz Since the Navy provides the shortwave service as a supplementary or backup\u00a0service for their ships that don't have the Navy's Direct-to-Sailor (DTS) capability, I'm not terribly surprised they're\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/AFN-AmericanForcesNetwork.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15129,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/listening-to-international-radio-via-free-to-air-satellite\/","url_meta":{"origin":66105,"position":3},"title":"Listening to international radio via Free-To-Air Satellite","author":"Thomas","date":"October 11, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN), for the following guest post: International Radio Broadcasts via Satellite by\u00a0Mario Filippi I find your SWLing Post blog a constant fountain of information on the world of shortwave listening. Having been a shortwave listener since the early 1960\u2019s, I\u2019ve depended mainly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dish-001","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Dish-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Dish-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Dish-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49914,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/the-sullivans-could-wwii-german-broadcasts-be-easily-received-in-australia\/","url_meta":{"origin":66105,"position":4},"title":"The Sullivans: Could WWII German broadcasts be easily received in Australia?","author":"Thomas","date":"August 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ray Robinson, who writes: Hi, Thomas. I have recently been re-watching the Australian soap serial 'The Sullivans', which ran on Channel 9 from 1976-1983. I used to watch it on ITV in England, and also for awhile on the Tempo cable & satellite channel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/TheSullivans.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16460,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/a-little-taste-of-cuba-on-free-to-air-satellite\/","url_meta":{"origin":66105,"position":5},"title":"A Little Taste of Cuba on Free To Air Satellite","author":"Thomas","date":"December 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi, for the following guest post: A Little Taste of Cuba on Free To Air Satellite by Mario Filippi, N2HUN (All photos courtesy of author) Tropical countries have always held a fascination for me, Cuba being at the top of the interest totem\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"WS International Ku band offset dish with Chapparal Ku LNB","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Ku-Band-Dish-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Ku-Band-Dish-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Ku-Band-Dish-1024x768.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66105"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66107,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66105\/revisions\/66107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}