Star Dust

The last Morse code message sent by Star Dust was “ETA SANTIAGO 17.45 HRS STENDEC”. The Chilean Air Force radio operator at the Santiago airport described this transmission as coming in “loud and clear” but very fast; as he did not recognize the last word, he requested clarification and heard “STENDEC” repeated twice in succession before contact with the aircraft was lost. In the absence of new clues, the meaning of STENDEC is likely to remain a mystery.