- Do we have any reasonable expectation of government funding? The
repeater group that I belong to in Houston is in the process of getting a FEMA grant based on the repeater/packet system >performance in Ike...ie we stayed up while the FEMA equipment colocated went dark. It has been "nip and tuck" and the election of a congressman from our district who some of us participated in his >campaign has helped a great deal...but it isnt "all" that much money at least in terms of what I suspect AMSAT was looking at.
I'm not sure. I think the lower the number, the more likely we could get some of the Homeland Security money that flowed freely up until this recent economic downturn. Some have argued that we would need to show significant technological advances to be eligible for really substantial grants. To quote someone for whom I have great respect, "The only sure way not to fail is to do nothing."
- even if we got the money and got the launch ...how does it change the
equation for the satellite community? It puts "equipment in the air" but would the "unique" equipment required be a show stopper >like the "spread spectrum" satellite (PANSAT?) that was launched a few years ago.
Tom's last revision had both analog and digital modes. The analog could be on your doorstep a few days after you hung up with DEMI or Kuhne. Digital would have been developed in parallel with the satellite hardware. The balance between the two modes would be able to follow the demand.
- I think that the "easy sat goal" is a "canard"...I think that it could
be as easy to talk on the birds as it is for me to type this letter to you...and it wouldnt change the amateur satellite population all that
much...but I do think that the other end is a limiting factor. If hams
have to buy some "special box" that is the heart and soul of the station and has zero use outside of the "bird"...then I dont think that is a
measure for growth.
I would not agree with this. Look at the users we have on AO-51 (easy) compared to AO-7 (hard). The trick is getting them to support the program. We have way too many users who don't think it's worthwhile to support the program.
If SpaceX granted us a ride on its Falcon 9 which might go this summer...is there anything to put on it?
It would depend on where it was going. To GTO I'd say we'd do all we could to get over our ITAR issues and get P3E onboard, if the Germans would agree. To LEO? That would depend on the orbit, whether we could justify the expense for a low orbit bird, whether it had the support of the membership, and whether it forwarded our goals. If someone said we have a space going to 800km or higher, I'd like to think we'd be all over it in one form or another.You know someone? ;-)
73, Drew KO4MA