We have kept Eagle satellite alive. The lab at U. Md. ES is being built out and we are going ahead with the structure. We helped fund the completion of P3E with our international partners and stepped up our efforts to finish the IHU-3 for them (and us.
The Eagle satellite structure build out is funded and slated for completion in 2008.
We are really going to try to get P3E a ride on Intelsat to balance against the other offers to see what is best for AMSAT-DL and us.
Stefan's analysis is correct. Any one geostationary bird can cover roughly a third of the earth.
Bob
Stefan Wagener wrote:
Yes,
It is a great project and deserves our full support!
Having said that we also need to realize, that depending on the location of the satellite above the equator we might only have the Americas in the foot print. No Europe or Africa and no Asia. Since the first geostationary satellite with amateur radio has to provide tangible support for government agencies (funding source) it will certainly be primarily centered around a North American footprint. That's why we need to keep Eagle alive and support Phase 3E.
All together they will give us the full package of worldwide DX via satellite and reliable high power communication in the Americas.
- Stefan VE4NSA