Getting Ready for Another SuitSat

FOLLOWING SUIT: Engineers at Microchip in Chandler Plan Work on 2nd Satellite

By Ed Taylor, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Feb. 18--A volunteer team of engineers at Microchip Technology in Chandler is already planning work on a second spacesuit satellite that they hope will be launched next year.

Two weeks after being released from the international space station, the world's first orbiting spacesuit satellite -- called SuitSat-1 -- continues to transmit signals and offer new surprises for the Microchip engineers who built some of the makeshift satellite's electronics.

Apparently, there are other space suits on the ISS that need to be tossed overboard, so planning is already starting how to do the next SuitSat. While it was disappointing to have such a weak signal from SuitSat-1, the project still created quite a stir in the ham community and the general public. This is rather interesting given that is was just a simple "transmit only" satellite, while we have a number of transponders on the air that are stronger and more consistent....but are not a discarded space suit.

I look forward to having SuitSat-2 orbiting the earth.

73, Bob K0NR