ARLA/CLUSTER: Passados 46 anos satelite espacial volta a funcionar

[pmafer]

Caro João Costa,

É sem duvida um grande feito para um satelite lançado a tanto tempo.

Neste *link* pode ver umas imagens de uma passagem que recebi aquando da
descoberta da reactivação:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l8onnpq4vogmpbn/CocmXvg-LC/LES-1

73's
Paulo F.


On Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 1:34 PM, João Gonçalves Costa
<joao.a.costa  ctt.pt>wrote:

>  American satellite starts transmitting after being abandoned in 1967****
>
> ** **
>
> An American satellite, abandoned in 1967 as a piece of Space Junk has
> begun transmitting again after 46 years. ****
>
> ** **
>
> An Amateur Radio Astronomer in North Cornwall accidentally picked up the
> signal and after cross checking with various lists, has identified it as
> LES1 built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and launched in
> 1965. The satellite failed to reach its intended orbit owing to a wiring
> error and has been drifting out of control ever since. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Phil Williams G3YPQ from near Bude noticed its peculiar signal drift
> caused by its tumbling end over end every 4 seconds as the solar panels
> become shadowed by the engine. ‘This gives the signal a particularly
> ghostly sound as the voltage from the solar panels fluctuates’ Phil says.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> It is likely that the on board batteries have now disintegrated and some
> other component failure has caused the transmitter on 237Mhz, to start up
> when its in sunlight. ****
>
> ** **
>
> LES1 is about the size of a small car, It is not likely to re-enter the
> atmosphere for a long time as the orbit is still relatively high. It poses
> no threat other than that caused by the thousands of other pieces of space
> junk in orbit. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Phil says its remarkable to think that electronics built nearly 50 years
> ago, 12 years before Voyager 1, and long before microprocessors and
> integrated circuits, is still capable of working in the hostile environs of
> space. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Listening to the signal you can easily imagine the craft tumbling over and
> over every 4 seconds and the transmitter starting up as the sun rises. He
> refers to the hobby as ‘Radio-Archeology’! ****
>
> ** **
>
> Phil Williams G3YPQ****
>
> N.Cornwall****
>
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