Auto Parts for Brains

It’s a bird, it’s a plane… no it’s SuitSat. Working in space can be a little boring sometimes and every now and then astronauts (or cosmonauts, as they more aptly called) get out of their way to have some fun. What better idea is there then, than to fill an old worn out space suit with junk, shape it like a standing person, and toss it out into space. To add to the classic science fiction scene of a deserted astronaut, why not play some melodramatic song or film it and send it to YouTube. 

Though funny, this practice was actually done by Russian cosmonauts to have fun while disposing of some of their garbage in space. This is how the idea of SuitSat1 was born- a satellite recycled from a worn out space suit. Launched early last year, SuitSat1 carried with it a radio transmitter that sent signals or data which include temperature readings, a slow-scan TV image and several specially coded messages for ham radio listeners. Along with the transmitter are recordings of children’s voices, imagery of the hundreds of signatures, poems and artwork they were able to solicit and of course, old laundry. After being in orbit a few days, its batteries eventually ran out and it burned as it re-entered the earth’s atmosphere September 7 of last year. But before that a lot of enthusiasts were able to enjoy the rare opportunity of tuning in to it.

 This year, another version of the “most creative way of space recycling” will be deployed. This time, a lot of improvements are on the way that will allow more people to get a chance of capturing signals from it. For starters, the new SuitSat will carry with it an onboard Amateur Radio transponder that uses DSP (digital signal processing) techniques. The new one will also have a longer life compared to its predecessor, because of solar panels built in with it.

Expected to be launched October this year, it is not too early to prepare to tune in to it. Though not much information is available on their site at the moment, updates are available at other sites like Amateur Radio. Receiving signals from the satellite should not be hard as well, as anyone with an antenna and a radio receiver can tune in to it.

This is definitely something every geek should not miss.

*photos by Bill McArthur