Regarding the few posts in bad taste. I'm an ex sailor I can handle it however, this place is not at sea.
With the demise of AO-51 and the yearning for more birds. Do we have a place where we can actually see (pretty close) how much money is required for what bird/launch and even "ball park" time frame. From the "outside" looking in it appears we're simply shoot from the hip. Nothing works better than specific, concise and honest details be if from AMSAT-NA or our DL friends. I recently gave a satellite talk and could not give definitive anwers about even the future out a few years, other than my own hopes and dreams. The university "beep" boxes we have assisted with are kinda fun, why not hang on a small transponder from http://www.qsl.net/pe1rah/ . I'd like to see a specific goal oriented conversation in this direction, that in my opinion provides direction. With very specific goals we will have direction (money). I know we have "well connected" people in AMSAT" to the space industry, the devil is in the details. Now finally where can we find the keps of some of these odd ball birds like Phobos-Grunt. That thing should be optically visible at the gray line.
73 Bob
Washingto State AMSAT Coordinator