SuitSat

Sometime today the newest amateur radio satellite, SuitSat, will be pushed into orbit. That's right, pushed into orbit. Some amateur radio equipment has been attached to a surplus Russian Orlan spacesuit and it will be deployed by hand during an upcoming ISS EVA.

SuitSat (NASA link) will transmit special international voice messages, spacesuit telemetry and a pre-programmed SSTV picture on the 145.990 MHz FM downlink. I can receive voice transmissions and I'm going to try and scramble to hook the radio up to my computer to record the telemetry. Does anyone know of any free audio recording applications for OS X?

If you want to listen act quickly, the batteries will only last a few days. The suit should orbit for up to 6 weeks before the orbit decays. NASA has a tracking applet that lets you find the when ISS is going to pass over your head. Parents, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) folks will send a certificate to any student who sends them a signal report. There are details on their website or I can help you if you have any questions.

Damn, I am out of space for more user pics and I don't have an AMSAT one. Looks like I need to buy more space.

Missouri!

MJD posted a quote from Bill James about the Kansas state quarter. The only problem is all the things Bill talks about, the Fountains, the Royals and the boulevards, are all located in Missouri. It's a common misconception, but Kansas City is in Missouri. Not Kansas.

Update: I misread MJD's post and mis-attributed the Bill James' quote to him. Sorry Mark.