SCP-XXXX:
Containment: Records of data transmitted by SCP-XXXX are to be stored at the Foundation Astronomical Consortium at Site-17. Information concerning these transmissions is to be expunged from civilian sources. While unidentified data is to be classified, all identified forms of data is free to be shared with relevant governmental agencies for the purposes of determining veracity.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a phenomena surrounding an unmanned Soviet spacecraft—Kosmos 96—launched from the Космодро́м Байкону́р in 1965. Following its launch on a mission to explore the planet Venus on November 23, 1965, the rocket propelling the satellite experienced a sudden error, causing the third stage to misfire and the fourth to completely fail, forcing the satellite to deploy into a low Earth orbit. The satellite reentered Earth's atmosphere on December 9, 1965, sixteen days later.
During the sixteen days of orbit, the satellite transmitted data and continued to function. Following its confirmed descent and destruction, monitoring was abandoned by government agencies.
On March 3, 1966, data was intercepted that bore the hallmarks of having been transmitted from the satellite. The satellite had been launched with a similar compliment of instruments to previous Soviet-era Venusian missions, including cameras; a magnetometer; piezoelectric, solar, and x-ray detectors; a Geiger counter; ion traps; and receivers designed to detect radio emissions. While this data was received, additional, undetermined data was transmitted, apparently acquired from instruments not documented in the design specifications for the craft. This additional data was unable to be correlated to cosmic phenomena which might be monitored by the craft.
In general, comparison of data from the transmissions was similar to those from the Mariner 2 mission conducted by the United States in 1962 and later verified by the Venera 4 and Mariner 5 missions in 1967. Foundation devices designed to detect SCP-XXXX were included in these mission, though no evidence of its survival was found.
SCP-XXXX was completely dormant until March 12, 1976. At this time, another data burst was intercepted which again bore the hallmarks of having been transmitted from the satellite. This data was again verified by Venera 11 and Venera 12, launched in September of 1978. All data was determined to be accurate, insofar as it was able to be understood. Again, the undetermined data was examined, and while fluctuations were present, there was again no correlation made.
Data bursts were received in ten year increments, appearing again on March 28, 1986, April 5, 1996, and April 17, 2006. No transmission was received 2016. It is the belief of researchers assigned to SCP-XXXX that whatever force or fluctuation that originally caused the start of the phenomena may have ceased, or the 'craft' had simply been unable to continue transmitting.
Information concerning the additional data sent by SCP-XXXX is noted below, including original notation use by the craft for identification.
| Year | HAC | YAD | URG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 1352459 | 1 | 34% |
| 1976 | 2014523 | 1 | 51% |
| 1986 | 3021436 | 1 | ERR |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| 2006 | 7 | 0 | 100% |