Using an Old Space-Suit as a Satellite

Andrew-Unit writes "The ARRL has an interesting article about an amateur satellite project where some amateur radio electronics will be crammed into an old spacesuit and chucked out of the window of the International Space Station."

Comments

... er

[mister_llah]

... and so the 1st Inglewood satellite is launched...

Obvious question

[Anonymous Coward]

Is that an antenna in your pocket...?

Re:Obvious question

[matt me]

no, i'm just deployed to see you.

Wrong words

[Linker3000]

In space, one doesn't 'chuck' - one 'deploys' ie:

Space: "Then we will deploy the space suit..."

Earth: "Vern chucked his fast food container out the window of his car"

Other permutations do not work ie:

Officer: "What do you think you are doing?"

Vern: "Hey officer, just deploying my garbage..."

Re:Wrong words

[mister_llah]

Good point... I would also think chucking something out of a space station window is a terribly dumb idea, explosive decompression and all.

The scenario would go something like this...

Space Jim: "Hey its hot in here open a window!"
Space Rob: "OH GOD MY LUNGS ARE INVERTING!"

Great!!

[William Robinson]

Aliens will be deterred thinking that they are cops orbitting around earth!!!

helmet cam will be interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Assuming it will be facing in the correct direction it should give the first point of view of a person stranded in space re-entering earth's atmosphere.

"Here's you in space... here's you coming home..."

Re:helmet cam will be interesting.

[LiquidCoooled]

I'm wondering how many calls there will be when people with telescopes start seeing a body flashing past their eyes.

"OMG somebody is stranded in space!"

Re:ok the spacesuit is feasible

[Ed Thomson]

This will be cool for amateur astronomers to try to find the dead guy floating in space using a telescope.

The ISS has a window?!

[Mwongozi]

In case it gets hot, perhaps?

Re:Why a spacesuit?

[Anonymous Coward]

Didn't the oxygen supply fail on the ISS? They might want to keep those "surplus" suits around.

Re:Space Junk

[DNS-and-BIND]

Oh...polluting the atmosphere. That's MUCH better. What kinds of toxic substances make up a space suit and radio gear?

He's heading for that small satellite.

[d9000]

"I think I can get him before he gets there... he's almost in range."

"That's no satellite! It's a space suit!"

"It's too small to be a space suit."

"I have a very bad feeling about this."

Exactly, besides...

[chillmost]

Perhaps to keep the whole thing together and provide minimal protection, in case it bumps into another amateur radio space-suit?

Exactly, besides it looks better than duct tape.

Re:Why do we need a spacesuit??

[IAmTheDave]

To keep it warm at night.

Re:Why a spacesuit?

[Eminence]

The spacesuit is already onboard the ISS and has been declared as surplus.

Yeah, so instead of coming up with an innovative way of delivering mass to orbit we achieve that through accounting. It's declared as surplus, written off, and then it appears it got there *for free* - Ta-Da!

Imagine that drifting up to the window...

[HangingChad]

...of the space shuttle. AAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!! AAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!! Oh, wait, it's just SuitSat.

Be a great joke to play on the new guys. The first ghost story in space. And they say old Bob still orbits around these parts, forever relaying ham radio signals.

Pictures?

[SnarfQuest]

I like the part about the schools being allowed to supply one 8-1/2 by 11 inch picture, make absolutely sure it is in jpeg format because they burn up better, to be included on a CD, in order to be burned up with the suit.

Teacher: Mary, your artwork is so good, were going to burn it. And it's not going to be a normal "throw it in the incinerator" type of burn; we are going to burn it in the most incredible heat possible, and spread the ashes all over the planet so there is no possibility of recovery.

Mary: ....