Re: how about an amsat moon mission?
we need to find the schematics for AO-13 ... and build the same transponers [for the moon] We need to keep it simple, none of this digital radio stuff,... A digital system would take 10 years and 10 million ...
As another one of the old legacy system believers, I have to admit, that I am finally seeing the light, and beginning to come around to believe in the new wave that the software defined radio -is- the way to go.
After seeing the AMSAT crowd rave about it, and then seeing the one they are building for SUITSAT here at DCC, and seeing that they are producing them in quantity and copies can fly in something as small as a 4" cubesat, I am now convinced that -it-is-done. It is available now. AND it is much more reliable. WIthout analog components that can drift and need critical alignment, the SDR transponder is the only way to go.
Sure there is internal complexity, but to every ham, it looks like just an AO13 transponder too. People use their PC's and USB drives and IPODS everyday as appliances, yet they contain unbelievable technology not even dreamed of a few years ago. Same thing here. It is the way to implement the basic AMSAT transponder, while to the users, it works the same as the old one.
Like I say, I am now a believer too.
Bob, WB4APR
The thing here is going to be SURVIVALBILITY! Can we as a all-volunteer organization make this happen on say a 5 Million US dollar budget and NOT exceed that like what happened with AO-40? AO-40 was a complex machine and a very demanding task set for AMSAT that DID accomplish some of its goals, but do we have the time, budget, and WILLINGNESS to accomplish this in the group? This has been discussed a few times over the past couple of years and I have mentioned then that we should start working on drafting a plan for just such an opportunity like this.
Here's the things that are going to have to be overcome: 1) Can we design something that will last the rigors of going from extreme cold of space to the extreme heat that will be beating down on it and have it cycle through a few of these before quitting? 2) What bands should we use? What do the treaties that all of our countries have signed allow us to use on another planet? That is something that has NOT been brought up. Everyone seems to want 2m and 70cm for this, but are ALLOWED to use those frequencies on such a project? 3) Can we find a suitable launch opportunity and can we afford it on such a shoestring budget and still make a little money to fund our other projects like Eagle and Phase 3E?
James W8ISS
---------- Original Message ----------- From: "Bob Bruninga " bruninga@usna.edu To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:41:02 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: how about an amsat moon mission?
we need to find the schematics for AO-13 ... and build the same transponers [for the moon] We need to keep it simple, none of this digital radio stuff,... A digital system would take 10 years and 10 million ...
As another one of the old legacy system believers, I have to admit, that I am finally seeing the light, and beginning to come around to believe in the new wave that the software defined radio -is- the way to go.
After seeing the AMSAT crowd rave about it, and then seeing the one they are building for SUITSAT here at DCC, and seeing that they are producing them in quantity and copies can fly in something as small as a 4" cubesat, I am now convinced that -it-is-done. It is available now. AND it is much more reliable. WIthout analog components that can drift and need critical alignment, the SDR transponder is the only way to go.
Sure there is internal complexity, but to every ham, it looks like just an AO13 transponder too. People use their PC's and USB drives and IPODS everyday as appliances, yet they contain unbelievable technology not even dreamed of a few years ago. Same thing here. It is the way to implement the basic AMSAT transponder, while to the users, it works the same as the old one.
Like I say, I am now a believer too.
Bob, WB4APR _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
------- End of Original Message -------
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