Space.com had an interesting article on the use of CubeSats to monitor space weather.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/080827-nsf-cubsats-science.html

While reading this article, it may be useful to think about how these activities might be leveraged into additional support for amateur communications payloads. For example:

o Support space weather research. Could an amateur communications satellite be subsidized if it carried space weather instruments? Could a microsat focused on space weather research carry an amateur communications payload (particularly, if the amateur communications package carried space weather telemetry)? Could a network of amateur ground stations collect space weather telemetry?

o Support space research (beyond space weather). There is actually a long history of using research payloads to support amateur satellites. Yet, this method of funding amateur satellite activities seems to often fall off the short list of ways to subsidize amateur communications satellites.

o Develop the next generation of space scientists and engineers. There are persistent concerns that we aren't attracting enough students to the space sciences. By all appearances, this concern has been leveraged by the ARISS and related projects into substantial government support for amateur radio in space. Why can't we make more use of this scheme?

o Supporting on-orbit experiments. Provide space and telemetry to on-orbit experiments provided by others.

o Provide technical assistance to microsat developers. This might both provide a source of support and might help put more amateur communications payloads on small satellites.

Most, if not all, of these approaches _have_ been used in the past to subsidize amateur communications satellites. But, the most widely quoted list of potential sources of funds seems to have devolved into: emergency communications and education. What about all of the other other proven methods of supporting amateur satellites?

Perhaps, part of the problem is AMSAT's apparent nearly exclusive focus on amateur satellite users. Look at AMSAT's public image: its Web pages. Should there be more content on AMSAT's Web pages that might attract potential collaborators who have money? Potential developers? People with interests in amateur satellites and amateur satellite communications beyond using HEO voice transponders?

What does AMSAT want to be when it grows up? Who is its target audience? Primarily amateur satellite users? Or, does it want to attract a broader audience?

-tjs