Has it been over a decade now -- since that fellow was on an assignment in Antarctica (or was it the other end?) and he would send up pictures and reports via KO-25? It stands out in my mind as being one of the more memorable things that I've witnessed in my years as a radio amateur.
I recall in one of his messages he reported that he was getting great upload and downloads from the bird because he was the only station in the queue as it passed over him! Gosh those were good times.
I had my station setup to operate automagically for the digital PacSats. Many times I would be out in the yard mowing the lawn and suddenly see my yagis start tracking something. Later, I'd go down in the shack and browse all the directory fills that had been downloaded on the previous pass.
If I happened to be in the shack at pass time it never ceased to give me a kick to watch my callsign appear in the queue!
Sure wish that kind of operation wasn't just a memory anymore...
73, Jeff KE9V