thumb|Animation of 2020 SO around Earth The Centaur upper stage of the rocket used to launch Surveyor continued on its original trajectory past the Moon, placing it into a solar orbit similar to that of the Earth. The Centaur was untracked from that point forward. In August 2020, NASA announced the sighting of an object in a solar orbit which could shortly make a close pass with the Earth. On September 23, 2020, NASA announced that this was likely the lost Centaur booster, and likely to be re-captured into Earth orbit. This would be the second time that a rocket upper stage has done so, after the upper stage of a Saturn V rocket from the Apollo 12 launch re-entered Earth orbit in 2002. In December 2020, NASA confirmed that it was the lost Centaur stage.
thumb|Animation of 2020 SO around Earth The Centaur upper stage of the rocket used to launch Surveyor continued on its original trajectory past the Moon, placing it into a solar orbit similar to that of the Earth. The Centaur was untracked from that point forward. In August 2020, NASA announced the sighting of an object in a solar orbit which could shortly make a close pass with the Earth. On September 23, 2020, NASA announced that this was likely the lost Centaur booster and likely to be re-captured into Earth orbit. This would be the second time that a rocket upper stage has done so, after the upper stage of a Saturn V rocket from the Apollo 12 launch re-entered Earth orbit in 2002. In December 2020, NASA confirmed that it was the lost Centaur stage.