Can This 1970s Spacecraft Explore Again?, io9
“Imagine the heartbroken wailing and the cries of denial. Insert the demands to find out just how much it would cost to rebuild the antennas in time, and the blank stares when told even $1 was outside of NASA’s limited budget. Soon, the inevitable idea emerged: crowdfund our way back into communication with the little spacecraft. The idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds. While the Deep Space Network ripped out the necessary antenna, Morehead State University has an antenna that is successfully picking up ICE/ISEE-3 transmissions. If they can track down the old commands, and built a software emulator for the old hardware, that same dish can theoretically be used to send new commands.”