Why is Amsat-NA trying to build a HEO (Eagle) and a GEO (P4) and have done a LEO (AO-51) in the past few years after AO-40? Four (4) totally different designs and missions within the past 10 years!! and look where we are. all we have to show for it is a single channel FM LEO satellite in orbit as of today. India did Hamsat and we did Echo. Do we want to be on the same level as India or do we (Amsat-NA) want to be a major player in the ham satellite field?
With the huge cost to build and launch a satellite why are hams not better organized around the world? If the germans (Amsat-DL) finally get their P3E HEO satellite in orbit and working I hope they start building and funding P3E #2. Then P3E #3. If we get P4 built and launched as an EMCOMM sat (GEO) I hope we start building P4 #2 then P4 #3, etc. Let the universities and smaller countries build and launch the LEOs. Specialization is the key to our future. LEOs from university projects, HEOs from Amsat-DL and GEOs from Amsat-NA. Nothing says that we can't help each other with people (ideas) and funding. Amsat-NA has not built and launched a good HEO since when? Why should I give money to Amsat-NA to build a HEO with the record of the organization? Especially if Amsat-DL can deliver a good working HEO satellite? I will give my support for building future HEOs to the organization that can DELIVER (Amsat-DL?). Is the main problem standing in our way the egos of those in Amsat-NA?
Get a spaceframe design that works and keep it for at least 10 years. Only change the design if the previous one fails. What would happen if GM wanted to build a new car design every year? They can't afford to do that or are they able to engineer that. Why do we as hams think that we can change our design with every new satellite? It is a waste of time and resources. If General Motors can't do it why do we have the ego to think that we can?
Les W4SCO
At 10:08 PM 12/12/2007, you wrote:
One of the possibilities I have not seen relayed well from the meetings to general knowledge is that it may be possible for Intelsat to attach Eagle to one of their satellites, and drop us off in GTO on their way to GEO. This possibility alone is worth working this opportunity out to it's conclusion.
It has become very apparent to me that we will not fund a HEO solely on our current membership donations. Ever. We have to go for the outside funding Tom mentioned, and the best way to do that is a simple, tool-like application like a GEO, geared heavily towards EMCOMM. Too many of us have taken the wait and see approach when it comes to supporting a HEO project. The money has to come first, then the satellite gets built and launched, not the other way around.
73, Drew KO4MA