The aging solar-powered satellite, Fuji-OSCAR29, made big news in early March when its entry into a full-sunlight orbit woke the 30-year-old satellite from a long slumber. Well, guess what? It's nap time again, as Jim Meachen ZL2BHF tells us.

JIM: If you've been enjoying continuous operation using the newly awakened Fuji-OSCAR29 from Japan, you may want to make plans to take a break. AMSAT News reports that on or around the 21st of April, the satellite will return to a period of eclipse - in other words, no more sunlight. The Japan Amateur Radio League has estimated that the satellite will remain without power - and go back to sleep and out of service - for about a month. The satellite is fully dependent on its solar panels since its onboard batteries have not worked in many years.

There is a bright spot in all of this - and we do mean bright in every sense of the word: Full sunlight will become available to the satellite again starting around the 20th of May. Hams can once again look forward to more continuous operation through to the middle of November.