5 May
2007
5 May
'07
4:11 a.m.
In my original question I mistyped GIS for *GPS*; what I wondered was if these birds 'knew' their position by GPS satellite readings. It seems most believe that they don't, that a groundstation in Japan gives a wakeup transmission.
73, Bruce VE9QRP
Bruce,
Yes, some do, although not FO29.
I'm pretty sure NASA sponsored a GPS system experiment on AO40 and that this was the first GPS system to fly *outside* the ring of GPS satellites. I *think* I can remember an AMSAT bulletin reporting the success of the experiment.
Space Today list three amateur satellites as carrying GPS but don't include AO40. Space today lists: PoSAT-OSCAR 28, Thai-Microsat-OSCAR 31, CanX1 See: http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Hamsats/AmateurSatLaunchTable.html
Sil