Hi,
Since Sept 2009 (when I subscribed to the list) - this thread is most interesting! I have great opportunity to help small educational team which is building 1U cubesat. And I have to agree 200% with Tony that there is great potential for ham community in finding space related educational teams in their countries and help them succeed in their missions.
73 Zilvis
On 2012.09.26 08:38, Tony Langdon wrote:
I see a lot more potential in partnering with the education community. They're seeking to train aerospace engineers, and perhaps working with this community - as mentors, given there's a lot of proven satellite expertise in AMSAT, as well as "clients" (to have students building to a specification). Amateur radio itself is about learning - usually self learning, but education would seem to broadly fall in the learning side of the hobby. Sharing that with industry and getting working transponders in return would seem like a win-win. I do think it should be a two way street, AMSAT helps the students and universities achieve their educational goals, and gets a working bird in return, once the primary mission is completed. From what was posted about Fox earlier, that sounds like a good example of this sort of thing.
And of someone wanted to try out a new propulsion system on a live satellite, I'm sure AMSAT would be more than happy to help with the comms side of things.
However, I also understand that times have changed, and I may never get the opportunity to try working a HEO in my lifetime. I'm not going to bag AMSAT for that, it's just the way the industry has gone, and the old launch opportunities have dried up.
73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com