SuitSat

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SuitSat-1 inside the ISS

Launch of SuitSat-1 (left to right: Astronaut, SuitSat)

Suitsat-1 in orbit after being deployed from ISS.

SuitSat (also known as RadioSkaf, Radio Sputnik, and AMSAT-OSCAR 54) is a retired Russian Orlan spacesuit with a radio transmitter mounted on its helmet. SuitSat-1 was deployed in an ephemeral orbit around the Earth on February 3, 2006. The idea for this novel satellite was first formally discussed at an AMSAT symposium in October 2004, although the ARISS-Russia team is credited with coming up with the idea as a commemorative gesture for the 175th anniversary of the Moscow State Technical University.

[edit] SuitSat-1

In a move originally planned for December 6, 2005, SuitSat-1 entered its own independent orbit just after 23:05 UTC on February 3, 2006 when it was taken on a spacewalk from the International Space Station by Valery Tokarev and Bill McArthur as part of an unrelated EVA. Voice messages recorded by the teams involved, and by students from around the globe, are continuously broadcast in a number of languages from the SuitSat, along with telemetry data. The signal begun transmission approximately 15 minutes after SuitSat-1 was jettisoned and is relayed by equipment onboard the ISS. Anyone receiving the transmission can log an entry on the tracker at suitsat.org, detailing when and where they heard it. How long the signal will be broadcast for is unknown, but SuitSat's eventual fate will be to burn up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

However, the SuitSat-1 mission was not a total success. There were very few reports that actually confirmed the receiving of the transmission. NASA TV later announced that SuitSat ceased functioning after only two orbits due to battery failure, but there were reports suggesting that SuitSat-1 continued transmitting, though far weaker than expected.

The official designation for SuitSat is AMSAT-OSCAR 54, though it has been nicknamed "Ivan Ivanovich" or "Mr. Smith". The radio transmitter uses a frequency of 145.990 MHz.

The last confirmed signal report from SuitSat-1 was the report of KC7GZC on 2006-02-18, all later reports indicate that no signal was received when SuitSat-1 was due to pass over.