Trevor...there are it strikes me a few things that can be done here
1. try and attach "some payload" to a mass that is going to be left in orbit anyway. The second stage comes to mind, the satellite dispersal thing comes to mind (Is this a Spaceflight services thing?)...there are a few things that we could probably make that work with...in addition if there is propulsion remaining from the second stage...
2. We might be able to get something on board the rocket as a payload. The Europeans are working on something the Indians are working on somethings...
3 we might be able to talk with them about using the second stage as an experiment in depletion burns
There are a lot of out of the box suggestions that come to mind...
Robert WB5MZO
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 09:43:58 +0000 From: m5aka@yahoo.co.uk To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: payload potential
--- On Thu, 6/12/12, R Oler orbitjet@hotmail.com wrote:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/12/spacex-foot-eelv-door-double-launch-c...
Agreed a lot of ballast.
The orbit is 651 km by 642 km, 72°, isn't it ?
Anyone know what the costs are to fly P-Pod payloads on this flight ?
CubeSat launch costs seem to have been creeping up in recent years. One launch provider is charging $100,000 for a 1U CubeSat on a Soyuz to fly next April.
Hopefully as more launchers enter the market prices will eventually fall.
73 Trevor M5AKA
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