According to AMSAT-UK, the UO-22 satellite is not in good shape and its useful life may be over. The Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) Ground Station control center has tried several times in recent weeks to reactivate the satellite, AMSAT-UK reports. The satellite did come back to life briefly following one attempt, but other tries have failed completely.
The SSTL ground control station may make further attempts to reactivate UO-22, ”but it seems unlikely that they will be completely successful.” The cause of the satellite’s failure is not known for certain, but SSTL believes it may be related either to the spacecraft’s batteries or to the fact that the satellite is very hot due to orbital precession, which has generally put the spacecraft in full sunlight. The elevated temperature has been causing problems with the receivers as well as with the batteries.
Launched on July 17, 1991, UO-22 has served for many years as the 9600 baud store-and-forward satellite for the Amateur Radio packet radio worldwide SatGate service, which linked packet radio networks in many countries. AMSAT-NA reports UO-22 as ”non-operational.”
For further information on UO-22 contact Jim Heck, G3WGM, via email at, g3wgm@amsat.org.