The Satellite sank on 21 June 1879, according to the historical society, either as a consequence of a technical issue or because the boat collided with a floating log. The ship capsized, but no one perished.

In the summer of 2022, the society worked with Josh Gates of the Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown to produce a show about two French minesweepers that vanished on their maiden voyage in 1918.

After a remotely controlled vehicle photographed a shipwreck in the lake, it was concluded that it was the Satellite and not a minesweeper because the ship was constructed of wood and not steel.

The historical organization stated that there were no known photographs of the Satellite. At the time of its demise, the Satellite was regarded as one of the Great Lakes' most exquisite ships.

"It is said that her cabin and upper works were the most elaborate put upon a craft of her kind," the Detroit Press and Tribune reported.