On Oct 18 2011, Bob- W7LRD wrote:

With the occasional conversations going on with leo, nano sat, GEO, cube sat, heo, etc.  Just what does it cost to put these gizzmos up there?  Who are the major players who do the putting?  More and more countries and private companies are developing this capability.  Competition is the cost equalizer.  I mean what if North Korea said, "we can do that for for cheap".  To save face would say NASA , "step up"?  I, and we in the majority do not understand all the ramifications political and otherwise to be made in these decisions.  I do know we (AMSAT) have some very smart and "well placed" people within the industry.  I hear the term, "benevolent benefactor",  "pool our visa cards", "get lottery tickets", etc.  I have yet to see a "dig in our heels" concept and make it happen.  There is not a specific answer to these questions and ideas.  I feel it important to keep this carrot in front of our nose.

Bob:

I'll let someone who knows more about this answer your question as directly as possible. In the mean time, I would (sadly) point out that the US has a law on the books with the acronym ITAR (International Trafficing in Arms Regulations). The people who enforce it believe that satellite technology counts as "Arms" (weapons) and so if we built a satellite and shipped it to Korea (or even if we shipped it to the United Kingdom for that matter) we would be threatened with huge fines and possibly jail time. Case in point, AMSAT-NA had to pull out of the Phase 3e project with AMSAT-DL because of the crazy way that this law is being enforced. I am especially sickened by this fact because when I read the regulations in question, I see explicit exceptions to the rule of what constitutes regulated "Arms" that ought to apply to us. But I'm not a lawyer so what do I know?

73 John, W0JT