If you have a radio that can tune to the amateur radio 2-meter band frequency of 145.990 MHz, you may be able to hear a message being broadcast from a "SuitSat" as it orbits the Earth. The crew on the International Space Station (ISS) will release the SuitSat on Feb. 3. Engineers expect it to survive for two to four days, depending on battery life and temperatures inside the space suit. The space suit will have its temperature control system shut off to save power.
Once released from ISS, the SuitSat will transmit a greeting for 30 seconds and then pause for 30 seconds. In addition to a voice announcement, it will provide temperature, battery power and mission elapsed time telemetry. The transmission will end with a slow scan TV picture. Frank Baur of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center would not reveal the content of the picture, saying only that, "It's a mystery picture." Awards will be given to students figuring out what it is.
For more information on SuitSat, and links offering reception tips and techniques and when to listen, see NASA news release SuitSat - Using a simple police scanner, you can listen to a disembodied spacesuit circling Earth. SuitSat.org has pictures of the SuitSat and will collect and display reports of SuitSat reception.
