OM wrote:
..." If confirmed, these
data will indicate that Cosmos 1 made it to orbit. We will continue
to monitor planned telemetry sessions and will be working with U.S.
Strategic Command (STRATCOM) to locate Cosmos 1. The Planetary Society
will continue to post updates on its website at http://planetary.org
as information on the status of the spacecraft becomes available. "

The latest update sounds less encouraging.

"http://www.planetary.org/solarsail/latest_update.html"

"11:45 pm PDT (6:45 UTC, June 22):

Update From Moscow

Project Director Louis Friedman cautioned that some data point to a
launch vehicle misfiring, one that would prevent the spacecraft from
achieving orbit. He said, "That the weak signals were recorded at the
expected times of spacecraft passes over the ground stations is
encouraging, but in no way are they conclusive enough for us to be sure
that they came from Cosmos 1 working in orbit." The Russian space
agency indicated that the Volna rocket may have had a problem during
its first or second stage firing. "This," Friedman noted, "would
almost certainly have prevented the spacecraft from reaching the
correct orbit.""

I wonder why they didn't use a proven Dnepr or Rokot
instead of an unproven space launch vehicle.

- Ed Kyle