--- On Mon, 29/4/13, Stefan Wagener wageners@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks Bob, That's why it is important to read the complete conversation. This is NOT about Cubesats, staying in orbit, etc. It is about getting into an HEO beyond 20000km.
It's the same thing, what gets you from 310 to 700 km can also get you to 7200 or 20000 km. But first the technology needs to be proved in Space CubeSats like Romit-1 will do that if they can get launches.
Bob, on the topic of extending orbit lifetime there's a UK company, a University of Southampton spin-off, who are doing some interesting work in this area.
Mars-Space Ltd have developed a Pulse Plasma Thruster for a 1U CubeSat designed to extend orbit lifetime which was shown at a recent CubeSat Workshop, details at http://www.mars-space.co.uk/Pages/MicroPPTforCubesats.aspx They are also working on Ion Motors.
73 Trevor M5AKA