[amsat-bb] Re: Oldest working orbiting satellite? Todays quiz!

[Tom Busch]

Wait a minute!  The moon is probably 4 to 4.5 billion years old, and is still operational ;-)

Tom 

On Nov 4, 2010, at 2:23 PM, Tony Langdon <vk3jed at gmail.com> wrote:

> At 03:43 AM 11/5/2010, Chris Bloy wrote:
>> Hi Robert,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>> Non-working Amateur Satellite still in-orbit? (AO-13?)
>>>> 
>>> Oscar III...then Oscar V...Oscar V has no chance of coming back to life, it
>> was battery powered.. III?  I dont think that there were enough solar cells
>> on it to actually power the bird, but I could be >wrong.  I do listen for
>> it.
> 
> As I said in my last message, I'd have to check. ;)
> 
>>>> Non-working commercial sat? Vanguard-1?
>>> Yes. Technically the rocket body is older but that is the oldest in orbit
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Technically the R/B isn't a satellite??
> 
> The R/B _is_ a satellite if it's in orbit around the Earth, and it's 
> non functional - it became non functional when it finished its job of 
> putting the satellite into its orbit. :)
> 
>> "The record holder appears to be ATS-3 still nominally operational after an
>> amazing 41 years!"
> 
> That's impressive!
> 
>> 
>> 
>> That's a record we want AO-7 to break isn't it?
> 
> Would be nice. :)
> 
> 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL
> http://vkradio.com
> 
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