CNN/AP: Empty spacesuit orbits Earth, transmits, goes silent

[DeepModem Mom]

Empty spacesuit orbits Earth, transmits, goes silent
Saturday, February 4, 2006


The Russians had an idea of turning old spacesuits into useful satellites: "SuitSat" for short, says NASA.


CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- An unmanned spacesuit tossed out of the international space station was supposed to float through space, talking to radio operators around the globe.

The suit, stuffed with old clothes and a radio transmitter, orbited Earth twice on Friday, giving off faint signals to Japan. But then the suit, dubbed "Ivan Ivanovich," was apparently silent.

"No more transmissions are being received by ham radio operators ... It may have ceased operating very shortly after its deployment," said NASA commentator Rob Navias, speculating its batteries became too cold.

The deployment of the spacesuit started a five-and-a-half-hour spacewalk of mixed results by flight engineer Valery Tokarev and U.S. commander Bill McArthur to perform maintenance and photography tasks.

The suit was released from the international space station on Friday afternoon, looking like a cosmonaut tumbling helplessly through space. The Russian suit was equipped with a radio transmitter to send recorded messages in six languages to amateur radio operators for several days before eventually re-entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up, NASA officials said....


http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/02/04/bc.spacestation.ap/index.html

[benburch]

1. Damn.

I was going to try to tune it in today.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. You were? Cool! Is there a term for ham radio operators...

any kind of "nickname"?

[benburch]

5. Ham *is* a nickname...

And nobody knows where it comes from... It is goes back to around 1910.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Of course! What do hams have to do with radios? Thanks, ben --

very interesting.

[qazplm]

9. I'd guess its a relationship

between amateurs and someone who "hams" it up.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. Crap. My kids are bummed out.

We had a whole set up to monitor it tonight.
Might give a listen anyway, just in case.

[benburch]

8. Might warm up...

If the suit tumbles such that the sunlight comes in the visor...

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

14. Is that the theory? Too much cold?

I find it hard to accept that they did not take that into account.

[benburch]

16. The theory is the batteries got too cold.

This was not so much a designed thing as a lashed-together thing they hoped would work...

[grytpype]

3. Can we put Bush in one of those?

We can call it BushSat and eventually it would fall silent.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Good one!

[lebkuchen]

13. The empty suit in the WH is already more than I can handle.

Thanks, anyway.

[Lochloosa]

19. No. It will just drone on and on and on and on....

[phoebe]

10. that would be really creepy to come across in my parallel universe

n/t

[Teaser]

11. Teaser:Empty Suit Rules US, Spouts Shit, Never Silent

nt

[TalkingDog]

12. "My God....it's full of stars."

This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You’ve really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare

“This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do

Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much (she knows!)
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear....

“ am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do.?

[daleo]

15. I'm sorry Dave

Dave. Prepare G-pod for EVA, Hal. Made radio contact with him yet?
Hal. The radio is still dead.
Dave. Do you have a positive track on him?
Hal. Yes, I have a good track.
Dave. Do you know what happened?
Hal. I'm sorry, Dave, I don't have enough information.
Dave. Open the pod door, Hal.

[Eugene]

17. AP: Spacesuit Still Alive, Giving Weak Signal

Spacesuit Still Alive, Giving Weak Signal



By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer Sun Feb 5, 11:08 PM ET

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A spacesuit that was tossed out of the international space station after being stuffed
with old clothes and a radio transmitter was again sending weak signals as it circled the globe, ham radio operators
reported Sunday.

"Death reports were premature," said Allen Pitts, a spokesman for the American Radio Relay League, a Connecticut-based
association for amateur radio operators. He said the signals were "weak, cold and really hard to copy, but alive."

The suit, dubbed "Ivan Ivanovich," was released from the space station Friday, looking like a cosmonaut tumbling helplessly
through space.

NASA reported late Friday that the spacesuit had ceased transmitting.

<snip>

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060206/ap_on_sc/space_station

[PretzelWarrior]

18. SAVE THE SPACESUIT

now that we've made this satellite in our own image.....all the jokes about 'empty suit' notwithstanding...we must save the space suit. it is showing signs of life and as a licensed M.D. I can make an internet diagnosis that there is some brain activity. WE MUST RESPECT LIFE.