[amsat-bb] Mayak ‘Lighthouse in the Sky’ Fails to Deploy Solar Reflector – Soyuz – 73 Satellites

[John Brier]

Double fail:

"Per Mayak’s simple design, the project engineers did not include a radio
as the satellite could be programmed on the ground to autonomously execute
its critical tasks in orbit to complete the deployment of the solar
reflector. Later in the design stages it was realized that a radio would be
beneficial, however, no radio channel could be allocated to the satellite
this close to launch. A backup plan of using a series of LEDs on the
satellite to deliver basic telemetry in the form of a visual Morse Code
never came to fruition, leaving Mayak without any means of communicating
its status to the ground."

Also, LEDs? I guess there are telescopes that could see it and track it.

http://spaceflight101.com/soyuz-kanopus-v-ik/mayak-lighthouse-in-the-sky-fails-to-deploy-solar-reflector/