AMSAT ARE YOU LISTENING??? FOOT PRINT BEING IMPORTANT!!
Of course we are. Satellites aren't launched on desire only.
Earlier this year I was in contact with the only launch provider I could find who had launches to over 800km. They had no secondary opportunities available.
A launch to 600 to 800 km for an AO-51 sized satellite would cost 400k to 800k dollars from all the providers we've spoken to. That's almost as unobtainable on our own as the 10 million for Intelsat or 7 million for P3E.
I think our best chance to get back to a higher orbit is going to be hitching a ride on someone else's satellite, and we are actively pursuing this in several directions. If you work for someone who could, or know of an opportunity to carry a 1 or 2 kilo package to orbit, and provide us with ~5 watts of power, please email me privately with details. We have the hardware, as a direct result of the SuitSat-2/Arissat-1 effort. All we need is the ride.
73, Drew KO4MA