In the 1980's era of AO-10 and AO-13, AMSAT was just about the only outfit interested in launching small satellites, there was no commercial market for secondary launches, and we got them free or very cheap. In today's world, every university on Earth is building a Cubesat and commercial and government organizations are developing real missions around Cubesats. If they gave AMSAT a free launch today, they would have to give free launches to everybody. That is the main problem that we have today.
The NASA Cubesat launch initiative is accepting applications for up to a 6U Cubesat with proposals due in November, it MIGHT be possible to get a launch to GTO through this program (or it might not be). Can AMSAT design a high altitude satellite in a 6U Cubesat frame with sufficient solar power generation and antenna gain to provide a viable ham radio mission in HEO? It is worth further study over the next two months.
Dan Schultz N8FGV
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 23:58:57 -0700 From: Peter Klein pklein@threshinc.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] High orbit satellites? Message-ID: 521EF131.6080500@threshinc.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
What are the chances that there will be another high-orbit satellite like AO-10 and AO-13? Does AMSAT have any plans in that direction since the demise of AO-40? My main satellite interest is live communication with faraway places, and I really miss those Molnya birds.
--Peter, KD7MW
Amen,
Just go to the biggest SmallSat conference on earth at the annual AIAA/USU conference in Utah. Unlike AMSAT, the registration is $600 each, and it lasts 6 days and all 500 to 1000 attendees are fully into Small Cubesat like missions. And very expensive instruments. Every space related Commercial and Governmnet entity is there. A complete industry has grown up to support this new spearhead of interest and you can buy a VHF/UHF transceiver board for only $5000. Or a small 4" solar panel for $10,000 or an attitude sensor suite for $8000 or an antenna for $3000 or a chassis (cubesat) for $5000. Or a complete 3U cubesat for only $250,000.
And everyone of these hundreds of cubesat missions ALL want a cheap ride to space. Dan is right, the days of free rides is long-long gone because the demand for paying rides is so high.
Bob, WB4APR
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Schultz Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 10:56 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: High orbit satellites?
In the 1980's era of AO-10 and AO-13, AMSAT was just about the only outfit interested in launching small satellites, there was no commercial market for secondary launches, and we got them free or very cheap. In today's world, every university on Earth is building a Cubesat and commercial and government organizations are developing real missions around Cubesats. If they gave AMSAT a free launch today, they would have to give free launches to everybody. That is the main problem that we have today.
The NASA Cubesat launch initiative is accepting applications for up to a 6U Cubesat with proposals due in November, it MIGHT be possible to get a launch to GTO through this program (or it might not be). Can AMSAT design a high altitude satellite in a 6U Cubesat frame with sufficient solar power generation and antenna gain to provide a viable ham radio mission in HEO? It is worth further study over the next two months.
Dan Schultz N8FGV
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 23:58:57 -0700 From: Peter Klein pklein@threshinc.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] High orbit satellites? Message-ID: 521EF131.6080500@threshinc.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
What are the chances that there will be another high-orbit satellite like AO-10 and AO-13? Does AMSAT have any plans in that direction since the demise of AO-40? My main satellite interest is live communication with faraway places, and I really miss those Molnya birds.
--Peter, KD7MW
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participants (2)
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Daniel Schultz -
Robert Bruninga