[amsat-bb] Re: The Goce Satellite Ion Engine

[Alexandru Csete]

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:53:43 +1100
"Tim Tuck" <timt at skybase.net> wrote:

> Bill Ress wrote:
> > Following up on David's (G0MRF) post about the ion engine, the ESA
> > Goce satellite mission, due to launch next week, uses a nifty ion
> > engine which you can see at:
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7935621.stm
> >   
> As the article says, "this is a beautiful satellite" !
> 
> I notice that it has an S band downlink, It would be interesting to
> see if we could hear it.

It should be possible if you can receive 2.2-2.3 GHz (I don't know the
exact frequency). It is at a very low altitude ~280km so it is even
closer than the ISS.

By the way, those who were watching the live video stream from ESOC
could hear some beep-beeps at first AOS 90 min after launch.

73
Alex OZ9AEC