Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
SuitSat Casual Day Satellite Update
SuitSat, a Russian Orlan spacesuit, will be tossed overboard from the International Space Station, becoming a satellite of the Earth. The intent of the experiment is to see if old spacesuits can be turned into useful satellites.
(Earth's Newest Satellite)
Described as a "Russian brainstorm" by NASA's Frank Bauer, the SuitSat will have three batteries, a radio transmitter and internal sensors to measure temperature and battery power. It will transmit its condition to the ground.
Update: 28-Jan-2006: The SuitSat is shown below being readied for its mission. On February 3rd, commander Bill McArthur and flight engineer Valery Tokarev will step outside the ISS for a space walk, deploying the SuitSat.
(Preparing SuitSat)
SuitSat can be heard at 145.990 MHz FM by anyone on the ground (with a good enough antenna); NASA's J-Pass utility will let you know when to expect SuitSat over your town. "This is SuitSat-1, RSORS" should be heard every thirty seconds, along with a prerecorded greeting. Telemetry data are also available. Additional fun features are planned for students and teachers; see the SuitSat site for details
With its temperature controls turned off to conserve power, arms and legs akimbo and spinning out of control, the SuitSat will be deployed on February 3rd. It is expected to remain in orbit for approximately six weeks before burning up in the atmosphere.
I can't help but think of the last time a similar situation came up, it was in 1968 in the film 2001:A Space Odyssey. Hapless astronaut Frank Poole's ill-considered remarks within range of HAL-9000's visual sensors doomed him to a similar fate.
(New jovian moon Poole chased by pod)
As far as I know, the first reference to a "space-suit" is E.E. "Doc" Smith's 1928 novel Skylark of Space:
DuQuesne reported briefly to the two girls. All three put on space-suits and crowded into the tiny airlock. The lock was pumped down.
Find out more about SuitSat at NASA and the SuitSat site.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/27/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Space Tech ")
Solitary Black Hole Wanders In Space
'...the Hole is something like a vortex or a whirlpool?' - Frank K. Kelly, 1935.
Spaceplane From Virgin Atlantic
'ZARNAK, YOU'RE TO COMMAND A SCOUTING EXPEDITION --- FIND OUT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!'
Taikonauts Exercise In China's Tiangong Space Station
'Joe got out the gravity-simulator harnesses...' - Murray Leinster, 1953.
SpaceX's Starman Tesla Roadster In Space
'Somewhere in space, a chrome and blue automobile raced the green light of Earth.' - Theodore Sturgeon, 1941.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Robotic Barber Programmed With a Number of Styles
'He found a barber shop which, he thought, would be good for an idle hour.'
Humanoid Boxing Robot KO's Opponent - It's A Knockout!
'Thirty rounds of fighting is tough work. Even for machines.'
Caterpillar Electric Mining Loader Not Yet Ready For Moon
'...the excavations were already in progress, for he saw gray slopes of rubble.'
Centipede Robots Down On The Farm
'...the walking mills of Puffy Products began to tread delicately on their centipede legs across the wheat fields of Kansas.'
Anthropic's Claude AI Creates Legal Citation From Whole Cloth
'Here is a Clerk that would work incessantly, and neither eat, sleep, want payment, or grumble.'
Students Vie For Lunar Regolith Mining Robot Prize
'About time you got here,' the astronaut said.
'They Erased My Memory' Says Ariana Grande
'...using a neutralizing electronic impulse.'
Solitary Black Hole Wanders In Space
'...the Hole is something like a vortex or a whirlpool?'
Spaceplane From Virgin Atlantic
'ZARNAK, YOU'RE TO COMMAND A SCOUTING EXPEDITION --- FIND OUT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT!'
DARPA Wants 'Large Bio-Mechanical Space Structures'
'These are your rudimentary seed packages... Some will combine in place to form more complicated structures.'
Robot Hand Creeps Along, Separate From It's Owner
'The crawling... object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
Taikonauts Exercise In China's Tiangong Space Station
'Joe got out the gravity-simulator harnesses...'
Korean Exoskeleton Suit F1 Helps You Put It On
'Better late than never.'
Have AI Researchers Given Up On 'Bio-Babies'?
'You couldn't have the capstone without the pyramid to hold it up.'
Bunker Busters and Bore-Pellets
'The first revelation of the new Soviet bore-pellets.'
'Spikeless' Brand Swizzle Stick Detects Spiked Drinks
'the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers...'
