The longest continuously operating communications satellite in U.S. history, Lincoln Experimental Satellite–9 (LES-9), was decommissioned by MIT Lincoln Laboratory on May 20. The LES research team has been monitoring the satellite since it was launched in 1976. The gradual reduction in available power, coupled with the loss of the primary S-band telemetry data in early 2020, led to the decision to retire the satellite. “The Lincoln Experimental Satellite program was a monumental technical achievement and created the architectural framework and technology foundation that has enabled the nation’s military satellite communications…
