[amsat-bb] Re: Question on ANDE/RAFT/NMARS/FCAL

Since NMARS and RAFT have both re-entered the atmosphere, how is it FCAL and ANDE are still in orbit since they were lauched at the same time?

ANDE was a perfect sphere with no external drag components and weighed 50 kg. RAFT and NMARS were less aerodynamic cubes and both had extrnal whip antnenas an hopefully a 4 foot long wire HF antenna (though we think they were not fully deployed)...

So ANDE's mass is 15 times as much but it's cross section area is only 10 times larger and much smoother.

Bob, Wb4APR