To go off in another direction with this, what would it take to start our own Deep Space Network for reception and control of some of these older Deep Space or Near Space craft?

I know that there was a LOT of talk about the Stereo mission and helping out with reception back a few months ago. What if we could add control to that also?

What would be the MINIMUM size dish needed? ( I could only put up a max size of ten foot dish ) S/N ratios? Aiming factor? decoding and sending telemetry?

I am NOT proposing anything on the scale of the SETI Projects Very Large Array idea, but if done properly, we could help by extending the life expectancy of some missions by two, three, or even four fold and take some load off the NASA Deep Space Network.

This could also generate some credibility for AMSAT and maybe a little income to finance a few satellites. This would be a good way to utilize Amateur stations that are at Science and Hands On Museums also.

The Spartan Packet Radio Experiment (SPRE) which went up on STS-72 back in January, 1996 proved that we could control and receive telemetry from a spacecraft remotely via the internet even on Amateur frequencies. We could do the same with this. The telemetry could then be distributed via internet and decoded like the SETI@home project using BOINC or something else.

AMSAT as a group HAS the knowledge, expertise, and resources to pull this off. Why hasn't this been considered?

My interpretations of the AMSAT by-laws:

THIRD: Said corporation is organized exclusively for SCIENTIFIC purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

The SCIENTIFIC purposes for which said corporation is organized shall be the carrying on of SCIENTIFIC research in the public interest by the means of:

B. Encouraging development of skills and the advancement of specialized knowledge in the art and practice of amateur radio communications and SPACE SCIENCE.

C. Fostering international goodwill and cooperation through JOINT experimentation and study, and through the wide participation in these activities on a noncommercial basis by radio amateurs of the world.

AMSAT-NA is NOT limited to just amateur radio by the by-laws.

Just a little out loud thinking here. If this has been proposed and rejected before, please excuse the bandwidth wasted here.

James W8ISS