Pictures taken today confirm that we have now reached ALON / ALAT = 51 / 20.
Magnetorquing has been turned off and we have begun
drifting down in ALON under the influence of the so-called mystery effect ( due to momentum wheel magnets interacting with earth s magnetic field ). Drift rate will
be approximately -18.2 degs / week at the current spin rate. This will place us on the other side of the sun in approximately 4 weeks, when we can decrease ALAT and begin chasing the sun back to 0/0.
The solar angles will begin increasing rapidly as we move backward and the passbands will be turned off within a few days until conditions improve. The beacon will remain on continuously.
– — W4SM for the AO-40 Command Team
Klla: amsat