The answer is almost surely no because we will not be able to easily steer the interlink antennas and close the link. Much more likely is a common ground station link. This is TBD after we know we can make the minimum of paying for the launch and get the SDR in "testable" but not final form. On the latter we have just under two years from now, on the former we have one year.
AMSAT-NA and VT will work this out. We are not overwhelmed by this prospect but we are being cautious in our public statements even as we clearly understand the excitement and joy and clamor for information. Welcome to the new situation. We've found access to launches where we are going to have to keep our mouths shut and our eyes open and our powder dry. I am expecting that soon enough we will be doing things like saying
"We have acquired a launch for XXX and ooops, by the way, here are the TLE". It is not ideal, but better than the zero significant launches since 1991!
Bob
On Sat, Apr 25, 2015 at 6:42 PM, Bill bill@hsmicrowave.com wrote:
Hi Bob,
Nice work to you and your team. Fingers are crossed.
Question:- Any chance equipment and frequencies can be worked out to allow a satellite to satellite link to the upcoming Qatar Es’hail 2 geostationary satellite. Just thinking out loud not knowing the planned geostationary location. The news release didn't mention (unless I missed it) what size/volume might be available.
Regards...Bill - N6GHz
On 4/25/2015 3:20 PM, Robert McGwier wrote:
We agree completely Stefan our trigger here is short and we are going to have to rely on the donated SDR from Rincon Research Corp and work we have already done in the past. We have twelve months until testing, then a year to perfect.
Best 73s, Bob
On Saturday, April 25, 2015, Stefan Wagener wageners@gmail.com wrote:
Here is a link to the AMSAT-DL approach. Maybe an opportunity for new
synergies and cooperation between the two organizations especially on frequencies, ground-station development etc. The more similarities the better for the community in terms of access and cost for equipment etc. (basic economies of scale)
http://www.amsat-dl.org/index.php/news-mainmenu-97/237-es-hail-2-satellite-a...
73, Stefan, VE4NSA
On Sat, Apr 25, 2015 at 10:02 AM, Doug - k4GKJ <k4gkj@embarqmail.com javascript:;> wrote:
This is great! Love the idea. I would only hope the bird can handle
multiple qso's simultaneously..... Something like this will certainly
stay
busy..... Especially for emergency operations..... A big 'thank you' to those involved here!
Doug K4GKJ
Doug Bennight - K4GKJ 528-5772
-------- Original message -------- From: JoAnne Maenpaa <k9jkm@comcast.net javascript:;> Date: 04/25/2015 10:10 AM (GMT-05:00) To: AMSAT-BB@amsat.org javascript:; Subject: [amsat-bb] ANS Special Bulletin ANS-116.01 AMSAT-NA Opportunity for Rideshare to Geostationary Orbit
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-116.01 ANS-116 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 116.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. April 25, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-116.01
AMSAT-NA Opportunity for Rideshare to Geostationary Orbit
AMSAT is excited to announce that we have accepted an opportunity to participate in a potential rideshare as a hosted payload on a
geostationary
satellite planned for launch in 2017. An amateur radio payload, operating in the Amateur Satellite Service, will fly on a spacecraft which Millennium Space Systems (MSS) of El Segundo, CA is contracted to design, launch,
and
operate for the US government based on their Aquila M8 Series Satellite Structure.
A meeting to discuss this potential rideshare took place on April 13 at Millennium Space Systems that included Dr. Bob McGwier, N4HY; Franklin Antonio, N6NKF, co-founder of Qualcomm; Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering and member of the board for AMSAT-NA; Dr. Tom Clark, K3IO, Director and President Emeritus of AMSAT-NA; Phil Karn,
KA9Q;
and Michelle Thompson, W5NYV.
Hosting the meeting for MSS were Stan Dubyn as founder and chairman of
MSS,
Vince Deno as president of MSS, Jeff Ward, K8KA, of MSS as VP for Product Development, formerly with SSTL and University of Surrey Space Center,
and
Ryan Lawrence of MSS as Project Manager on the spacecraft mission. Attending by telephone were Dr. Jonathan Black, Associate Research Director of Hume Center for Aerospace Systems and Associate Professor of Aerospace and
Ocean
Engineering and Dr. Michael Parker, KT7D, founder of RINCON Research
Corp.
Following the meeting, Dr. Bob McGwier, N4HY, Director of Research at the Hume Center for National Security and Technology of Virginia Tech, and former director and former VP Engineering of AMSAT, described this as an opportunity to go forward with "AMSAT-Eagle" which, in the 2006-2008 timeframe, evolved into a microwave payload to be flown to geostationary orbit as a hosted payload. It would have provided digital communications
to
small terminals on the ground and a linear bent pipe transponder had it flown. This failed to go forward in part due to lack of an affordable flight opportunity.
McGwier outlined the next steps toward developing this mission:
To organize an effort at Virginia Tech to make a firm proposal to MSS and its US government sponsor, and organize an effort to raise sufficient funds to pay for development of the mission.
Enable Dr. Jonathan Black to lead the construction project at Virginia Tech in the Space@VT Center. Sonya Rowe, KK4NLO, Project Manager at the Hume Center will be the project manager.
Work for development of a low-cost microwave ground station for amateur radio still needs to be determined.
Dr. Michael Parker, KT7D, will solicit the cooperation of the Rincon Research Corp. for development of the software radio technology for this payload.
The AMSAT Board of Directors has accepted the invitation to participate
in
this potential rideshare payload opportunity. AMSAT expects to be
involved
in the development of the ground station and the payload RF development, and will serve as the amateur radio (hosted) payload operator once the satellite has been launched.
McGwier summarized, "The launch is currently scheduled for 2017 and the payload must be delivered for testing and integration by Spring of 2016.
It
is an ambitious schedule and all involved will have to gain and maintain
a
serious level of commitment to that which they agree to undertake." AMSAT President, Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said, "The AMSAT leadership is excited
to
fly a Phase-IV geostationary amateur satellite payload. This is an
evolving
development as we collaborate with the VT Hume Center with a project that provides technical challenges to create a new amateur radio capability in space that will provide a variety of benefits not only for amateurs but also for emergency communications and STEM educational outreach."
The transponder is expected to support a wide range of voice, digital,
and
experimental advanced communications technologies. A decision is expected soon specifying the microwave uplink and downlink bands.
Additional information on the Aquila M8 Series Satellite can be viewed on-line: http://www.millennium-space.com/ http://www.millennium-space.com/platforms#aquila
AMSAT has posted a photo of the GEO opportunity team with the Millennium Aquila satellite at: http://www.amsat.org.
[ANS thanks Bob McGwier, N4HY and AMSAT-NA for the above information]
/EX
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