Very nice to hear. I do apologize for my earlier characterization of a "a poor dead bird". Reading it over, it came out a bit harsher than I meant. I hope I didn't offend anyone. Thank you very much for your hard work and effort. 73, Michael Peter Guelzow wrote:
Hi Michael and Alan,
I can only repeat what Alan already said... Work on P3-E is continuing and we are busy looking for launch possibilities and other ways for financing it, i.e. on coat-tails of the P5 Mars Mission. This is our top priority at the moment and that's why you may not have heard so much about P3-E these days. Substantial progress was recently made on the new IHU-3 and getting IPS working on it, the S/C operating system used on all previous P3 satellites. The new IHU-3 is not only essential for P3-E, but also for the P5-A Mars mission.. Due to some problems discussed here before, we had to find new people in our own team to do the work. We had some good articles in our past AMSAT-DL Journal, I hope translations will find their's way into other magazines...
73s Peter, DB2OS
Alan P. Biddle wrote:
Michael,
AMSAT-DL, with the occasional support of other AMSAT organizations, is still working on getting it launched. I expect that it will find a ride, probably unexpectedly, as is often the case. It would be a tragedy to someday find the launch article in a museum somewhere. However, it is clear that launches beyond LEO are going to be few and far between for amateur satellites. Hence the shift in emphasis you have noted.
Alan WA4SCA
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Michael Tondee Sent: 09 November, 2009 18:30 To: Amsat BB Subject: [amsat-bb] So is P3E essentially dead at this point?
I'm following with interest the post on FM versus linear transponders. Right now I'm in the middle of putting together and FM LEO station that can later be made SSB/CW capable with the addition of a new rig which I think I may be able to once again afford sometime after the first of the year. I've read all about the new direction Amsat NA is taking and I applaud it as I think that's what's best. I still wonder about Amsat DL and P3E though. I don't hear much of anything anymore. Last I heard, the figure Arianne space gave for launch was deemed beyond reach and Amsat DL was going to try and get their government to help. Just wondering what the status is. Is there still a chance we will see it in orbit or is it just a poor dead bird mothballed in storage somewhere now? 73, Michael, W4HIJ _______________________________________________