I agree on the Lunar X Prize, http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/ There are 19 teams so far in the chase,
why do we not contact every one of them with the proposal? there is 30 million purse there a waiting. we could even say give us the ride and they can keep the prize Joe WB9SBD Armando Mercado wrote: >Greetings, > >First of all, I appreciate the efforts of the dedicated few of >AMSAT that actually go out and make things happen. >You don't hear "Thank you" often enough. > > > >Being this early in the idea phase, there are a lot of >questions and unknowns. What frequencies to use and >what the link requirements will be can all be worked out. > >The bigger question for me is if the moon is a good platform >for an amateur transponder. No doubt it is technically doable. >If the decision is based only on launch availability--It's the moon >or nothing at all--then to the moon we go. But let's all >understand what we are getting into. > >To the best of my knowledge, NASA does not now have an >unmanned lunar lander mission that has been approved, although >there is a lander planned in the greater scheme of things. Perhaps >someone could direct me to some current information. > >The last I knew, the plan called for a lander referred to as RLEP-2. >It was going to be a lander/rover powered by RTG's with a 1 year >mission to explore Shackleton crater near the moon's south pole. >The cost was going to be in the $400-$750 million range. The launch >vehicle was going to have excess capacity so it was proposed that >3-4 mini satellites be deployed in lunar orbit to do remote sensing >AND provide a communication link for the lander. > >So, if this is the mission we are talking about putting our transponder >on, it sounds like we won't hear it on earth once the rover drives >into the crater. Putting our transponder on one of the mini satellites >sounds like a better plan. > >Again, I had difficulty finding current information on NASA's unmanned >lunar lander plans. The last I read anything about RLEP-2 was that it >was in serious trouble because of cost and was going to be sharply >cut back. > >If our NASA host spacecraft will take care of all the housekeeping >and provided free power, then a low cost transponder sounds like >something we can do (although AMSAT-NA currently does not have >a satellite lab--we may need to contract out the transponder work). >We just need to understand we will not have control of the on/off >switch (the repeater on the ISS or the Planetary Society's >microphone on the Mars Phoenix lander for example). > >The days of getting a free launch is over, and it is too bad the Intelsat >ride share idea did not pan out for us. As I have said before, I am >not opposed to a transponder on the moon, I just have a lot of >unanswered questions. > >Thanks again to the dedicated few at AMSAT that make things happen. > >Armando, N8IGJ > > > > > > >>Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:14:59 -0700 (PDT) >>From: MM <ka1...@yahoo.com> >>Subject: [amsat-bb] Moon can cost less than HEO/GEO >>To: amsat-bb@amsat.org >>Message-ID: <228402.31352...@web56404.mail.re3.yahoo.com> >>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 >> >> > > > >High orbit launch prices > > > >>I can?t afford that and I do not know anyone at Huges, so I am looking into >>the piggyback options. Let some other company pay the big bucks for the >>flight >and navigation and just tag along for the ride. >> >> > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via amsat...@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 > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >Version: 8.5.375 / Virus Database: 270.13.3/2216 - Release Date: 07/03/09 >05:53:00 > > > _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat...@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
