Why don't AMSAT folks do a business/grant/ plan and go after seed money, with the goal of collecting the $20 million. It's just sitting there, from Google, waiting for geniuses like we already have to go after it. No free money; just available to those who want it bad enough.
So what's stopping you?
Seriously folks, AMSAT is not some big monolith that you send all your prayers to and wait for them to happen. We are AMSAT. If you feel strongly about a project, put together a plan and a team and bring it to the BOD prepared to describe how you are going to accomplish it. The problem is AMSAT is chronically short of those who want to really help. We have three empty officer positions. We only had enough BOD candidates to fill the seats available and the alternate. We have a list in every Journal of jobs we need help with, but very few have stepped forward to actually help. We need folks with skills in:
Marketing Sales Software Engineering Hardware Engineering PC Based Software Design Web design and maintenance Project Management Documentation Hardware Testing Software Testing Hardware Prototyping Specific Area Web site information maintenance Video Recording, digital conversion and editing Writing Technical or Instructional Material Educational Activities Promoting AMSAT as an Area Coordinator
...and whatever else you think might help.
See Page 19 of the last AMSAT Journal. If you don't get the Journal, join AMSAT so you can have a say in what we do by whom you elect to the BOD. Arguing about it on the internet is one thing, but doing something about it takes another level of commitment.
73, Drew KO4MA