While anything is possible I will be very surprised (pleasntly) if there is another amateur radio satellite with a liquid propulsion system that is managed by any amateur group that gets a ride into any sort of HEO transfer orbit.Ion engines might be different but after AO-40 and its propulsion issues the days of amateurs playing with rocket engines on commercial flights I suspect is over.
Robert WB5MZO and soon S2 something Sent from my iPad > On Sep 20, 2013, at 11:09 PM, "John Stephensen" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > The problem is that the government is no longer paying for those expenses as > they did in the past. The $8,000,000 is the incremental cost not the cost of > the > entire launch. > > 73, > > John > KD6OZH > >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob" <[email protected]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 15:54 UTC >> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Phase 3 >> >> >>> I don't think we'll ever be in a position to "buy" a launch the most we >>> will ever be able to do is hope to piggy-back with a paying customer and >>> possibly contribute to "expenses." >>> >>> Maybe having a payload "on the shelf ready" isn't such a bad plan .... if a >>> "short window of opportunity" were to open up ... and we had nothing ready >>> that would be an opportunity lost. Maybe we should have various payloads >>> sitting on the shelf (cube, micro, mini, P3) just in case. >>> >>> Piggy-back rides is how Amateur Radio Satellites got their start .... it's >>> the only way to continue. >>> >>> --> Rob, KA2PBT >>> >>> >>>> On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 3:27 PM, John Stephensen <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> AMSAT-DL was the lead for phase 3 because they were able to get >>>> almost-free launches from ESA. However, ESA terminated that policy 10 years >>>> ago and AMSAT-DL has been trying to get government funding through their >>>> Mars program. That was rejected a year or two ago. Private launch companies >>>> are asking for $8,000,000..The world-wide fund raising by AMSAT-DL, >>>> AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-Japan, ARRL and RSGB for each of the phase 3 >>>> launches acheived less than 10% of what is now required for a launch. >>>> >>>> In the past, a launch opportunity was identified by ESA and then a >>>> satellite was built by AMSAT. P3E did the reverse -- building a satellite >>>> and hoping for a launch. I brought up AMSAT-DL because someone was >>>> complaining that AMSAT-NA was leading them on about HEO possibilities. They >>>> should review videos of the AMSAT-DL presentations at the annual AMSAT-UK >>>> meetings. AMSAT-NA has been much more realistic. >>>> >>>> 73, >>>> >>>> John >>>> KD6OZH >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Sent via [email protected]. 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 > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via [email protected]. 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 _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. 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
