----- Original Message ----- From: w7lrd@comcast.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 9:23 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Shuttle lift?
Hello I believe this subject has in the past been thrashed around. Perhaps for some new members it might be worth "rethrashing". The shuttle seems to have a lot of room and our satellites are fairly small. If I recall they (NASA) does not want any satellite with fuel. On Oct 6, 1990 the Ulysses spacecraft was carried into earth orbit, then with the solid-fuel motors put it in a eliptical solar orbit. That was 17 years ago, and the policy has probably changed. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle
Fuel or no fuel, they (NASA) also want several million dollars to carry anything up there, whether it stays up there or comes back. I don't think that the shuttle has ever been an economically viable option for an AMSAT launch........
George, KA3HSW