The amateur radio satellite HAMSAT VO-52 ceased operating on February 28, neither it’s beacon or 435/145 MHz SSB/CW linear transponder have been heard since.

Ib Christoffersen OZ1MY reported that he heard and briefly used the transponder on the pass with Acquisition of Signal (AOS)  in Copenhagen at 0826 UT on February 28. On the next pass with AOS at 1003 UT it was not on.

Mani VU2WMY provides this update:

Dear HAMSAT VO-52 users,

With regrets, we confirm the non-availability of the transponder on HAMSAT VO-52 since 28th February 2012. This is the first ever interruption in the services of HAMSAT since 5th May 2005.

The timely feed back from John K8YSE, Domenico I8CVS, Eugenio IZ8JHD, Jan PE0SAT and Nitin VU3TYG were highly appreciated and acknowledged by the ISRO’s HAMSAT Mission Management Board.

I’m herewith enclosing the mail received from Mr. T.Parimalarangan, Operations Director-HAMSAT VO-52 regarding the ‘Temporary Non-availability’ of VO-52 transponder and beacon.
__________________
Mr. Subramani VU2WMY:

Thanks for obtaining the user feedback. You may please post the following message in the Users website. If possible, try to find out who has last operated HAMSAT payload transponder on 28th and at what time

“HAMSAT Transponder services not available temporarily due to operational reasons. Inconvenience regretted”

With Best Regards,
T PARIMALARANGAN
OD, HAMSAT (NP)

ISTRAC/ISRO
Ph:  080 – 2202 9011 (O)
080 – 2535 0132 (R)
0 – 9480333563 (M)
080 – 2202 9062