diff --git a/include/openspace/util/spicemanager.h b/include/openspace/util/spicemanager.h
index f345115fa3..b7b4724de1 100644
--- a/include/openspace/util/spicemanager.h
+++ b/include/openspace/util/spicemanager.h
@@ -557,6 +557,12 @@ public:
                     ephemerisTime, format
             ));
         }
+
+        if (outBuf[0] == '*') {
+            // The conversion failed and we need to use et2utc
+            constexpr int SecondsPrecision = 3;
+            et2utc_c(ephemerisTime, "C", SecondsPrecision, bufferSize, outBuf);
+        }
     }
 
     std::string dateFromEphemerisTime(double ephemerisTime, const char* format);
diff --git a/src/util/spicemanager.cpp b/src/util/spicemanager.cpp
index 5027a62432..f07d1cbb0c 100644
--- a/src/util/spicemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/util/spicemanager.cpp
@@ -588,16 +588,23 @@ double SpiceManager::ephemerisTimeFromDate(const char* timeString) const {
 
 std::string SpiceManager::dateFromEphemerisTime(double ephemerisTime, const char* format)
 {
-    char Buffer[128];
-    std::memset(Buffer, char(0), 128);
+    constexpr int BufferSize = 128;
+    char Buffer[BufferSize];
+    std::memset(Buffer, char(0), BufferSize);
 
-    timout_c(ephemerisTime, format, 128, Buffer);
+    timout_c(ephemerisTime, format, BufferSize, Buffer);
     if (failed_c()) {
         throwSpiceError(fmt::format(
             "Error converting ephemeris time '{}' to date with format '{}'",
             ephemerisTime, format
         ));
     }
+    if (Buffer[0] == '*') {
+        // The conversion failed and we need to use et2utc
+        constexpr int SecondsPrecision = 3;
+        et2utc_c(ephemerisTime, "C", SecondsPrecision, BufferSize, Buffer);
+    }
+
 
     return std::string(Buffer);
 }