We Received A Signal. We Are Not Sure What To Do With This Information.
ORC-V1 “Maud” completed a GEO standard retrieval for an international satellite operator. The object, a defunct communications satellite, was retrieved from GEO arc and transferred to graveyard orbit at GEO+304 km. The mission was completed within the planned timeline. Full regulatory filing and post-mission documentation were issued within 14 working days. The mission is considered complete and successful in all operational respects.
During the mission, ORC received three unregistered signals on Maud’s standard uplink frequency. The signals occurred on days 14, 22, and 30, each at 03:11 BST, each lasting 4.2 seconds. The origin of the signals could not be verified using any registered communications source. The signals were logged, retained, and referred to Dr. Chen for analysis. Dr. Chen’s analysis is ongoing. The signals did not affect mission operations. We are not drawing conclusions from this at this time.
The mission itself proceeded without incident. Maud reached GEO arc on schedule. The object was where it was supposed to be. Maud captured it cleanly on day 28, repositioned it to graveyard orbit, and returned to standby. This part of the report is straightforward.
The signal section is less straightforward.
When the first signal arrived on day 14, A. Kowalski’s instinct was to log it as a telemetry anomaly and move on. The signal did not match any known format. It was not from the client. It was not from any ground station we use. It was not equipment noise, which has a recognisable signature. It was [REDACTED].
When the second signal arrived eight days later, at the same time, at the same frequency, for the same duration, A. Kowalski called Dr. Chen immediately. Dr. Chen said [REDACTED]. M. Hargreaves was briefed. M. Hargreaves said: continue the mission, log the signal, do not speculate.
We continued the mission. We logged the signal. We did not, officially, speculate. The capture was completed on day 28. Two days later, at 03:11, the third signal arrived. The mission was functionally complete. The object was in graveyard orbit. Maud was in transit back.
The third signal has been partially translated by Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen’s working interpretation is that it represents an acknowledgement of a completed activity. We do not know whose activity they were acknowledging. The timing — two days after capture — is [REDACTED].
There have been no further signals since mission completion. We do not know whether this is because the signals have stopped, or because [REDACTED]. We are monitoring.
| Service tier | S-01 Standard Retrieval |
| Vehicle | ORC-V1 “Maud” |
| Altitude | GEO · 35,786 km |
| Mission duration | 38 days |
| Capture | Day 28. Clean. |
| Graveyard orbit achieved | GEO + 304 km |
| Mission anomalies | 0 |
| Signal events | 3 (separate from mission operations) |
| Signal interval | 8 days exactly (×2) |
| Signal time | 03:11 BST (×3) |
| Signal duration | 4.2 seconds (×3) |
| Signal origin verified | No |
| Partial translation available | Yes. In HOLD folder. Folder is locked. |
| Conclusions drawn | None. Officially. |
| Further signals since mission | None recorded to date. |
- The signal monitoring protocol for GEO missions has been updated. All uplink frequencies are now continuously logged during active mission phases, with automatic flagging for any signal that does not match a registered format. This was sensible practice regardless of ORC-2024-338. We should have done it earlier. We are doing it now.
- Dr. Chen’s analysis of the signal data is ongoing. Dr. Chen has requested additional processing time. Dr. Chen has requested access to reference databases that ORC does not hold. We have made enquiries about those databases. The enquiries have been interesting. We are not putting anything further in writing about the enquiries.
- The operational decision to continue the mission in the presence of unexplained signal events was correct. The signals did not affect Maud’s systems. The mission objective was clear. We completed it. This is what ORC does. We do not stop retrievals because of things we cannot explain. We log them, we file them, and we call Dr. Chen.
- M. Hargreaves has reviewed this report and approved it for external publication on the grounds that full disclosure of the signal events is preferable to partial disclosure, and that the most honest description of our position is that we received three unexplained signals, completed the mission, and do not currently know what the signals were. This report is that disclosure. We stand by it.
- Maud returns to GEO arc in June 2026 for ORC-2026-118. We are monitoring. If there is a subsequent signal event, there will be a subsequent report. We will publish it.