What do you do with an old spacesuit when you no longer need it? Stuff it full of electronics, shove it out of the airlock and turn it into the most unusual communication satellite ever to enter orbit.
SuitSat, as it has been dubbed, is part of an amateur radio educational project on board the International Space Station. To be 鈥渓aunched鈥� in September, the satellite will transmit greetings and pictures from schoolchildren around the world. Back on Earth, amateur radio enthusiasts will be able to track the suit and decode its messages before it falls out of orbit and burns up after a couple of weeks.
The old Russian spacesuit will use its own battery to power the small transmitter in the suit鈥檚 body and the antenna in one of the arms, both protected by the suit from space鈥檚 harsh environment.
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