On 06/18/20 20:10, Jim Walls via AMSAT-BB wrote:
Absolutely loved AO-10 and AO-40 (sob) with their high orbits. I would love to see another HEO to use.
N0JY presented an update back in 2019 which outlined the steps for the new series, GOLF:
https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Hamcom-Engineerin...
On slide 13, we can see that GOLF-1 has a proposed approximate orbit of 1200km, which is _almost_ MEO, so the program appears to be headed toward those higher orbits.
Slides 14 and 15 show the new orbital debris regulatory challenges, probably caused by the proliferation of space objects, that might be causing some headaches for higher orbits. As Jerry mentions, the only way to qualify a de-orbit device is to use it! So, you're throwing away some money right on the first satellite. Ooof!
Could AMSAT get an exception to this? I don't know, but if everyone who is interested in MEO/HEO would write their congresscritter in a polite and informed way, perhaps they might help us out.
The world has changed, and we need to adapt to it.[1]
--- Zach N0ZGO
[1] I definitely recommend that everyone read: "Who Moved My Cheese?", Johnson, Spencer M.D., ASIN: B004CR6AM4.