Hi Luc,
You're assuming that there is enough money in the combination of all AMSAT organizations and that each AMSAT has an equal chance of getting a ride into orbit in all countries. Neither is true. The amateur satellite program needs external contributors to maintain the type of service that it gave in the past. There are also legal restrictions in the U.S. as to who can participate in a program of this type and be allowed to launch on any of the U.S. rockets -- commercial or government. I don't see the closed circles that you refer to as AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-DL are able to cooperate on projects like AO-40 and P3E.
The countries making their first steps into space are very useful for LEOs, but HEOs require an order of magnitude more energy per pound of transponder to be put into a stable orbit. The space shuttle is the most expensive launch vehicle for a HEO and you have to carry more mass in engine and fuel than on conventional launch vehicles. It was heavily influenced by cold war requirements so it was a flop commercially.
73,
John KD6OZH
----- Original Message ----- From: "Luc Leblanc" lucleblanc6@videotron.ca To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Cc: eu-amsat@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 03:24 UTC Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: AMSAT NA
On 16 Jul 2008 at 1:29, John B. Stephensen wrote:
What most HEO users never fully realized (including me) was that they were the recipients of charity. Now that launches are commercial operations, the AMSATs have to pay the same as everyone else and HEOs are vastly more expensive than LEOs.
How i can repeat the same idea in a different way!
3 years ago i wrote "there is not enough money available in each AMSAT'S" i was speaking for an ONLY ONE international AMSAT to regroup all the available funds" Running after too many rabbit will only bring empty hands.
As the one repeater in each ham backyard syndrome era we are now facing the same trend. The volunteer era is also no more THE SOLUTION our club repeater group who was playing retuning rebuilding old commercial repeater on the ham bands and having to perform maintenance work on a monthly basis became tired to play again and again on the same used machine our volunteers where exhausted. THE NEW SOLUTION we buy a brand new motorola repeater (3000$ for a 40 members club) Two years now of peace and smooth operation our volunteers are now playing around SDR radio and DSTAR.
GUIDE FOR AMATEUR HEO SATELLITE LAUNCH.
1-Put the world-wide resources towards one goal one HEO at a time 2-Planned the funding A- How much money is needed for a launch B-Divide the amount by all the possible contributors C-Have al the AMSAT'S organizing their own funding in their own area. 3-If some money is missing we will all know why we cannot have a launch and this will end up the complaining 4-Working in closed circle under our national flags will only divided our resources if "Now that launches are commercial operations" we will have to govern us accordingly GO COMMERCIAL SELL D'ONT BEG Try to have managers and administrators who are familiar with the business world not those who rely on charity, or elitism fund raising club, or governmental grants.
5-When the business plan will be attached it is much more easy to seek out for major money contributor's. 6-Is this goes by having to put a Coke sign on the satellite body or having a CD with names of 5$ donors (look at the cube sats supporters) 7-Stopped attending hamfest and start to visit universities in promoting an HEO project how they can help? 8-Look for new countries who are now making their first steps in space India, China, Japan 9-The space shuttle is now at the end of his planned life is there any available space in their last flights to accommodate an HEO of 150KG! 10-If someone ask me if can managed to put 300 a year in a fund to have an HEO launch i think i will be able to save 82 cents per day per year but they will have to SELL me the affair...a sound and a well attached project. 11- If it is possible to reach 6000 individuals 1.8 millions will be available per year and in no more than 3 years more than 5 millions will be in this fund.
The killing question!
Is the actual leadership is able to drive such program i think not AND IT IS THE MAIN PROBLEM a huge structural change is needed as the ideas of the base are not listen. Only the leaders ideas are promoted even if they are no more up to date as they are getting trailing support by few foul mouth it is a vicious circle who fortunately start to break up...
AMSAT-NA is facing an obscure future. The last act of mutiny is only the tip of the iceberg even if the captain want's to play it down! We are could be ugly but not stupid...
"-"
Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE
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