Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it received three signals believed to be from Hitomi; however, further investigation revealed the signals were not from the satellite and were “due to the differences in frequencies as a consequence of technological study,” the space agency said.
On Thursday JAXA said "it is highly likely that both solar array paddles had broken off at their bases where they are vulnerable to rotation," making it virtually impossible to get the satellite back on track.
While there is no possibility of retrieving Hitomi, JAXA said in a news release it now plans to focus its effort on what caused the anomaly, including scrutiny of design, manufacturing, verification, and operations.
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