OK, I missed it live. I was busy working on my procedures to launch Atlantic Bird 7 in September.
Was it deployed without the antenna?
The S/N ratio here on the BBS has me confused. It *sounds* like they deployed it without the antenna, which means it's 50% functional.
I fully understand about handling objects in microgravity. They might be "weightless" but they're certainly NOT "inertialess".
But to drag it outside WITHOUT one of its critical pieces?
Didn't they set this up for deployment inside the ISS to be all ready to go before they even took it into the airlock?
Didn't they have a procedure to follow? You know, "Insert Tab "A" Into Slot "B""? "Big antenna on top, small antenna on the bottom"?
73, Jim KQ6EA
On 08/03/2011 11:23 PM, Edward R. Cole wrote:
I'll try to keep this short...."Whose Success?"
If I were still a member of Amsat, I would be very upset with the handling of this project. There is nothing for the contributions that ham radio members invested. It ends up only glory for ARISS and the Russian's commemoration of Yuri Gagarin.
I would vote to cut the relationship between Amsat and ARISS. It isn't offering anything for ham radio. Let ARISS raise their own funds and build their own educational satellites. Those that want to contribute to that, go ahead. Amsat was created to build satellites capable of ham radio communications (and be used by hams)...this education outreach was added, much later.
But then I quit Amsat after 36-years. You know what? Keep this up and it could become a trend.
Ed - KL7UW former #3212
PS: They were right about my proposal: It would fail. Now you have the evidence.
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