Telemetry Payload Results

Summary

First signals from the payload were heard 2 minutes, 2 seconds after launch, very close to the nominal time for ejection. Initially the signal strength varied significantly on a time scale of about one second, suggesting a tumbling payload. After about a minute, the signal strength variations diminished. The signal could be heard for most of the descent with a typical hand-held VHF scanner and a small "rubber duck" antenna.

Telemetry was received until approximately 10 minutes after launch. Battery voltage remained almost constant, the internal temperature decreased to about -20C and then increased, and the pressure readings indicated a pressure of about 1 Atm just before loss of signal.

It is believed that the starute did not inflate properly causing the rapid decent.

Raw Data

The raw 8-bit data is sent as hexidecimal using morse code. Listen to it by clicking here (360K, WAV) or here (360K, AU).




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