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

Amateur radio is pretty interesting.

[caluml]

I find it amazing (and heartening) that in this world of money, and greed, that some people will build satellites, and get them launched into space, purely so Amateur Radio hams can bounce off them and talk all around the world. I've never done it myself, but I've watched someone going in on 2 metres, and hearing their output on 10. You only get a few minutes before the satellite disappears below the horizon again, but it's still cool.
You could also listen to Mir on 143.625.

Re:ok the spacesuit is feasible

[Chanc_Gorkon]

RTFA. It's a OLD Orlon spacesuit. One they are not using. It's cheaper for them to do that and let it burn up in the atmosphere then it will be for them to send it back on a Soyuz or Shuttle.

ISS has a history of supporting Amateur Radio

[VE3ECM]

Not only have there been quite a few astro/cosmonauts that are licensed amateurs, but they maintain a functional Amateur Radio station on the ISS.

Contacts made from/to the ISS

Official NASA ISS Amateur Radio Page

ARRL ISS Page

It's incredibly easy to talk to the ISS from the earth... you don't need a particularily high-powered radio to do it. In fact, the radio on the ISS is a plain jane, Kenwood dual-band radio.