The reconnection represents a significant technical achievement, as re-establishing communication with a spacecraft after loss of contact requires both the satellite to be in a recoverable state and ground teams to correctly predict and target its position.

Lost spacecraft recoveries are rare in the history of space exploration. The challenges involved include the craft potentially tumbling out of its planned orientation, depleted batteries, and the vast distances that make signal detection extremely difficult.

ESA has not disclosed full details of how the recovery was achieved, but the successful reconnection means the mission may be able to resume at least some of its planned scientific objectives.

The achievement highlights the resilience built into modern spacecraft design and the persistence of mission control teams who continued attempts at contact long after conventional wisdom would have given up.