Hi

In a chat session yesterday about DELFI C 3 with Jean-Pierre VE2AHD we are questioning ourselves about the mission length. As per the mission web site (see below) even if the satellite should stay in space for "several decade" the mission lifetime is planned for +- 1 year.

As no batteries are in the satellite what will prevent the mission to go where no man has gone before... oups! to go well over the expected one year period? Components failure? this will most likely be the main reason for a limited time frame life expectation?

As a cute girl cannot give what she don't have i think there is nothing who will prevent DELFI C3 to live for several years aside of a component failure or a shut down command given from earth. She seems to be made strong but it is an external evaluation...

How long will the Delfi-C3 be in orbit? The drawback of the altitude at which the satellite will fly is the decay of the orbit. Due to atmospheric drag the satellite will lose energy, and thus altitude. For Delfi-C3 this means that it will stay in orbit for several decades. The Delfi-C3 mission has been developed around a mission lifetime of one year.

Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE