All,
Many of you probably were not at Hamvention when we announced this at the ARISS forum and the AMSAT forum, but if you want a *real* challenge, AMSAT and ARISS are working on the design of a ham radio system for the Lunar Gateway.
To make this happen we are leveraging the work and expertise of the world-wide AMSAT organizations and the international ARISS community in this endeavor. We have an international team working this and are meeting 2x a month to mature the concept. In May we presented our solid concept to NASA and got great, positive feedback. This was followed up a few weeks later at the ARISS-I meeting at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Montreal where we received great feedback from the CSA Gateway Program Manager after he saw our presentation.
The AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration) team have done some really good work. The challenge for each of you will be on the order of a 30 dB signal path loss as compared to LEO. But the link margins on our design seem to close.
I just wanted you all to know that AMSAT NA, UK & DL and ARISS-together--are working this phenomenal ham radio challenge. Come to the AMSAT-NA Symposium in DC to hear more.
73, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS International Chair
AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs
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From: Michael <mat_62@charter.net mailto:mat_62@charter.net >
To: amsat-bb@amsat.org mailto:amsat-bb@amsat.org
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 14, Issue 292 (HEO's,
AMSAT perception)
Message-ID: <a285ca79-e3af-048c-9d8b-85d8345cb2e9@charter.net mailto:a285ca79-e3af-048c-9d8b-85d8345cb2e9@charter.net >
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Just from the outside looking in...
AMSAT APPEARS only to be interested in hoisting flying repeaters and
PACSAT/APRS and showing the average ham how "easy" it is to work sats
with a handheld and a simple antenna. I guess that's all well and good
but I didn't get in the sat end of the hobby for "easy".? I wanted a new
challenge. I was too late for A0-40 because of lack of funds for a
station but I did have fun for awhile chasing AO-51, FO-29, AO-7 etc.
with a TS-2000X and a homebrew rotator and antenna system.
Unfortunately, life got in the way and I needed family funds so the
Kenwood hit Ebay and I'm inactive on the birds now. I sometimes consider
buying a couple of Baofengs (you should ALWAYS operate full duplex but
that's another thread) and getting back in on the cheap, I even recently
bought a beat up old telescope with a computer tracking tripod system I
spotted at Goodwill, but honestly, the challenge isn't there to give me
motivation.
Before everyone flames me, as I said, this is from the outside looking
in and just one man's opinion. I really wish AMSAT would do something,
anything, to change my perception. Seems to me I saw something about a
YL running for the board who's interested in open sourcing stuff.? Her
candidate statement was IMHO, a much needed breath of fresh air but I'm
no longer a member and don't keep up so no idea if she got elected. If
AMSAT wants my membership and donation dollars back, they need to change
perception and I suspect there are many out here in the community who
feel the way I do.
73,
Michael, W4HIJ
--------------------------------------------
Frank H. Bauer
FBauer Aerospace Consulting Services (FB-ACS)
Phone: 301-804-0173
Cell: 301-873-0890
NASA E-mail: mailto:Frank.Bauer@nasa.gov Frank.Bauer@nasa.gov
FB-ACS E-mail: mailto:fhbauer@verizon.net fbaueraerospace@gmail.com