Imagine a space suit floating in space . . . and talking to the world. Inside the suit is a South African leopard.
Before enraged animal lovers pick up the phone to complain, the leopard is a drawing done by Marisca de Beer, 12, a student at Chelsea Preparatory School in Durban, and forms part of a computer compact disc.
The CD has images of more than 300 creative items collected from schools and educational organisations around the world.
According to Hans van de Groenendaal, President of the Southern Africa Amateur Radio Satellite Association, the school and Marisca had chosen the leopard because it embodied the spirit of South Africa.
The suit is an old, unused Russian one, which will, this week, become a satellite during a unique extra-vehicular activity - or spacewalk for those not in the know.
During the spacewalk, crew from the International Space Station will push the suit and its arty CD into space (at 20 minutes past midnight on Saturday, February 4, South African time).
For the next week or two, it will broadcast to Earth, parroting student voices from around the globe, on 145.990 MHz. "This is SuitSat-1 RSORS!!"
Van de Groenendaal said the Chelsea Preparatory School entry had been chosen in a competition held by the Southern Africa Amateur Radio Satellite Association in May last year. It had then been digitised and sent to the US as South Africa's contribution to the CD.
Times to listen to SuitSat are approximate and based on Johannesburg.
For other areas, listen a few minutes either side of the given times.
February 4:
- 2.41-2.50pm, travelling from north-west to south-east (316-140 degrees);
- 10.44-10.54pm, travelling from south-west to north-east (208-65 degrees)
February 5:
- 00.20-00.28am travelling from south-west to east of north (246-5 degrees);
- 1.30-1.39pm travelling from north-west to south-east (345-121 degrees).
For after February 5, visit www.amsatsa.org.za