SuitSat the makeshift satellite that enthralled the amateur radio community earlier in the year has finally returned to Earth. The satellite burnt up during atmospheric re-entry 1,400km south west of Australia at 1500UTC on 7 September.
Made by converting an old Cosmonaut space suit, SuitSat caught the world’s attention when it was launched from the International Space Station on 3 February. Radio amateurs across the world sought to detect the weak signals the satellite was transmitting. The wider community was also entranced by the project, with many schools following the progress of the satellite. The SuitSat website attracted a remarkable nine million hits during February. The satellite was initially only expected to transmit for a few days after its launch. But a technical fault significantly reduced the power output of the transmissions, allowing SuitSat to remain on the air for more than two weeks after its launch.
Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, Nottingham.
--
Suit-Sat 1 may be history but during its short lifespan the bird raised the profile of both space and Amateur Radio. Because of this, serious consideration is being given to launching a second SuitSat in coming years. More is on the web at www.suitsat.org (GB2RS)
