Joe mentioned ...
I remember quite a surge of fund raising prior to getting AO40 launched
Hams around the world pretty much paid for AO-40 and its ride with private donations. Its great that everyone dug in and met the funding goal - thank you! I had fun for a short time on AO-40, getting a station nearly going near the end.
AO-40 seems to have been one of the last subsidized/discounted launch opportunities. Getting to orbit with the real price quotes we get in today's space-as-a-business-model, we seem to hear $6 Million with a straight face from the launching agency. A few things may be going on here:
1. The launch agency is telling us to go away knowing there is little likelihood of a bunch of hams coming back with $6 Million.
2. Amateur radio isn't making a good enough business case to fit into the space-as-a-business-model when we propose we're flying a radio for a bunch of guys to yack on. Oh, emergency? Well you see, if enough of the guys are available on the weekend we might help. School? Sure, if they have an antenna and some kids got their license.
I'd guess we need to fix #2 so we can go back with $6 Million to fix #1. It has been said several times: There is not much chance amateur radio operators will raise that $6 Million with bake sales, car washes, private wallets (wouldn't it be excellent to have a wallet like that!).
To fit into today's space business environment AMSAT needs to create a mission that excites potential funding sources. Emergency Management is excited by the possibility of many-hours or 24 hour access to a satellite supporting emergency communications. Schools are excited at the prospect of student access to space with perhaps hours-long access to an experiment on ISS with TDRSS-like functionality instead of a 10 minute QSO with an astronaut.
Once we've made a business-case for our mission and a funding/grant source has agreed we'll be on our way. Yes, deliver the promised mission ... and in the meantime we'll be keeping those transponders warmed up ... we get to yack but you can't say that in a grant request.
Those who wish to continue to have philosophical disagreements on the Eagle design concept and process are welcome to do so.
It's just my observation, but a lot of the philosophical discussion is trying to find a way to build a mission ... not just a satellite. The overall mission includes paying for the satellite we want to yack on.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org