Good updated story

"SuitSat-1" Designated as AO-54; Signal Reported Weaker
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/02/06/103/?nc=1

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 6, 2006--Based on recent reports, the already-puny 145.99
MHz signal from "SuitSat-1" may be getting even weaker. The unusual Amateur
Radio transmit-only satellite, which consists of a discarded Russian Orlan
spacesuit equipped with ham radio gear, was released February 3 by
International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 12 Flight Engineer Valery
Tokarev as he and Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, began a
six-hour spacewalk. The crew stuffed some of its laundry into the spacesuit
to help it to keep its form as it orbits Earth. Over the weekend, AMSAT-NA
officially designated SuitSat-1 as AMSAT OSCAR 54 (AO-54). Tony Hutchison,
VK5ZAI, in Australia, reported that on its second pass over his location
February 6, SuitSat's signal was down.

"It appeared that signals had deteriorated since yesterday on both passes,"
said Hutchison, who's the Australia coordinator for the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program, SuitSat's sponsor. "It may be
the angle that SuitSat was when it passed, but on yesterday's passes it was
possible to detect it rolling," Hutchison continued. "I did detect voice
this last pass, but it was well down in the noise, and I didn't hear any
SSTV this last pass."

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