From 2006 ...

SuitSat: AMSAT Members Reach Out, Conduct Demos

NASA and AMSAT team up in the local schools ...

1. A SuitSat experiment at Linton Springs Elementary School in Eldersburg, Md.
On the morning of February 6, teacher Mr. Lyons and one hundred 5th graders
didn't go wrong!

2. Here is a clipping from a local newspaper that picked up on the AMSAT visit
to Linton Springs Elementary (PDF, 800KB). You can make your own news splash
for kids and education too. To get the attention of the local news media, inititate
a contact with them by e-mail like your club does for your Field Day event each
year.

See more AMSAT in schools below.

SuitSat Successfully Deployed

Released February 6, 2006
Revised February 9, 2006 

THE SPACESUIT SATELLITE, "SuitSat", was deployed 
successfully at about 6:00 P.M. EST (23:00 UTC) on 
Friday, February 3, 2006, from the ISS during the space 
walk as planned.  Reports coming in from around the world 
(see www.suitsat.org) say that the signals are very weak, 
much weaker than expected, in fact, almost hidden in the 
noise for most experimenters.  

See the official SuitSat web page to check the progress 
of experimenters, courtesy Steve Dimse, K4HG.  

The exact cause of the weak signals is not known yet, but 
reliable sources point to one or more likely problems, from 
very cold batteries to the SuitSat antenna or a bad 
electrical connection in between.  

Keep listening, keep experimenting.  Your efforts will not 
be wasted.  There is still very much to learn from this 
wonderful and educational opportunity.  

You never know.  SuitSat-1 just might spring to life when 
you least suspect it.  

And you wouldn't want to miss it!  

Sincerely,

Pat
N8PK

SUITSAT: A Special (and Brief) Opportunity

Released October 2005, Revised February 2, 2006

(Listen to a pre-deploy news report about SuitSat from
http://www.NPR.org/, a 400 KB MP3.) 


AN OLD RUSSIAN SPACE SUIT will be tossed off of the 
ISS during a spacewalk tomorrow.  The suit is essentially 
empty inside except for radio gear assembled for a 
special occasion.  Transmitting nearly continuously, 
kids around the world will enjoy its spoken messages 
over the life of the batteries, designed to last for 
a few days, perhaps a week.  

The Spacesuit Satellite or "SuitSat" will co-orbit 
with the space station for a while.  Atmospheric drag 
will drift it into "its own" orbit, a decaying one, 
and will gradually warm up the suit and the stuff 
inside.  

Listen for the 8-minute cycle of announcements when 
it flies overhead.  You will hear "spoken" MET in 
minutes, the inside temperature in degrees C (not F) 
and battery voltage telemetry, pre-recorded greetings 
in multiple languages, a single "cell phone quality" 
SSTV picture frame in Robot-36 mode, as well as the 
voice ID on 145.990 MHz FM at 500 mW into its low-
gain omni antenna.  

SuitSat will re-enter the atmosphere in a few weeks, 
long after the batteries run dry.  Time is of the 
essence and you ought to prepare now for this 
unique and fun experiment.  

You may download a 6-page color document here by 
Gould Smith, WA4SXM, and Steve Bible, N7HPR, 600 KB 
in PDF, dated November 5, 2005, for a full description 
of the event, additional technical details and 
several great photos.  Go to the main AMSAT-NA web 
site for additional descriptions, late breaking 
news, and tracking data updated daily after SuitSat 
is deployed.  That's www.amsat.org (link above, top).  

For lighter reading you may download a copy of 
a NASA press release written for kids.  Kids are 
welcome to take this copy to their school to ask 
permission to listen for SuitSat during class time.  
In addition to this press release, a sheet of 
technical details and the schedule for a televised 
(and webcast) press conference is offered for 
their teacher or mentor.  

Enjoy these three documents.  Each one has links 
noted where you can get updated information.  

For those Amateur Radio operators in the greater 
Maryland and D.C. area, PLEASE REPORT YOUR 
OBSERVATIONS to us on the amsat-dc mail list.  

  Of special interest to me are results of 
  antenna A/B tests (omni vs. yagi reception) 
  and your results of Doppler compensation (of 
  how valuable it is or was or was not for the 
  SuitSat experiment).  Did you bother to make 
  an audio recording of a pass?  WAV or mp3?  
  Any students involved?  K-5, 6-8, 9-12, 
  college, family, club or general public 
  demo?   

Get this into the schools!  PASS THE WORD about this 
special event to other radio amateurs so they can 
prepare their station and share the news further.  

Have fun!

Sincerely,

Pat Kilroy, N8PK 
AMSAT Area Coordinator 
Greater MDC Area
P.S. See this NASA press release and click "Play Audio".

And see also the SuitSat web page to file your reception report and
to see the progress of other experimenters.

More: AMSAT Members Reach Out

3. NASA engineer and AMSAT Area Coordinator Pat Kilroy, N8PK, at the
Parkland Magnet Middle School for Aerospace Technology, prepares for
another lesson on receiving SuitSat signals from space.


4. AMSAT member David Bern, W2LNX, accompanies Pat and describes
directional antennas to students and parents at Parkland's "Satellite Night"
in Rockville, Maryland on Wednesday, January 25, 2006.

5. See also the Parkland school web site AND click on "Photo Gallery" and
then click on "Satellite Night" for more photos.


6. Here is an actual SSTV image by Pat Kilroy taken during his
SuitSat demo for the AIAA student chapter meeting at the
University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) on Wednesday,
November 16, 2005. Sam Trepp, student AIAA Chairman.