Hi Trevor, I'm really keen on exploring just how realistic it is to place a "orbit modifying" system on a 3U CubeSat or a satellite the size of AO51. A lot is being presented to the CubeSat community about the possibilities of using the lower cost launch to get to LEO and then "slowly" modify the orbit to an elliptical MEO - using "safe" plasma or ion propulsion.
David Bowman, G0MRF, presented a great paper at the October AMSAT 2008 Symposium which went into details about how it might be done and a survey of the propulsion options being worked on. Much of that paper's background can be found on David's web site at: > http://g0mrf.com/MEOSAT.htm (Get a copy of the AMSAT 2008 Symposium papers for his updated presentation) At the CaL Poly 2009 CubeSat workshop, the following two papers were presented on the subject of satellite propulsion. > http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~bklofas/Presentations/DevelopersWorkshop2009/1_New_Tech_1/4_Scharlemann-Propulsion.pdf > http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/~bklofas/Presentations/DevelopersWorkshop2009/1_New_Tech_1/6_Biddy-Monopropellant_Propulsion.pdf Are there any AMSAT volunteers out there interested in the technical challenge of creating a team to help turn these interesting ideas into flyable hardware?? I'm sure that this could also turn into a great commercial opportunity for you entrepreneurs out there. I firmly believe it's an "obvious" technological direction to take, if we are to "economically" move out of the LEO orbits. Again - anyone interested in moving talk into action? Regards...Bill - N6GHz AMSAT Engineering Task Force Trevor . wrote: > The recently launched TerreStar-1 is designed to provides emergency comms > capability > http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2009/terrestar_1_launched.htm > > The basic problem is that Amateurs want linear transponder satellites in > orbits above 1400 km in order to provide reasonable DX opportunities and pass > times greater than 20 minutes. But "cheap" launches only seem to be available > for 500-800 km orbits, so we need to find a way to increase the orbit of say > a triple-cubesat from 700 km to 1400 km using a non-combustive technology so > as not to upset the cheap launch provider. > > Providing the radio communications is by comparison a trival exercise it's > finding a means (solar powered thrusters ?) to increase orbital height that's > the tricky part. > > 73 Trevor M5AKA > > --- On Sun, 5/7/09, John B. Stephensen <kd6...@comcast.net> wrote: > >> From: John B. Stephensen <kd6...@comcast.net> >> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: dream your own sat >> To: kc6...@cox.net, "'rupert red'" <rupert....@live.it>, amsat-bb@amsat.org >> Date: Sunday, 5 July, 2009, 9:54 PM >> The problem is that amateur radio >> doesn't significantly reduce the cost of a >> satellite. Any interest by the Red Cross would not be in >> the satellite but >> in human volunteers that might come with it. Unfortunately, >> the LEO >> satellites that hams can afford generate little interest in >> this forum. >> >> 73, >> >> John >> KD6OZH >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Art McBride" <kc6...@cox.net> >> To: "'rupert red'" <rupert....@live.it>; >> <amsat-bb@amsat.org> >> Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 19:00 UTC >> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: dream your own sat >> >> >>> Rupert, >>> I think that is a fair assumption on your part, but >> only because the are >>> no >>> new ideas being presented that have commercial >> potential that can use >>> Amateur Radio as an inexpensive to proof of concept. >>> In the present Amateur Radio community only Emergency >> Communications is >>> getting the publicity. Perhaps FEMA or the Red Cross >> might help pay for an >>> emergency communication satellite otherwise it is >> LEO's forever! >>> Art, KC6UQH >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org >> [mailto:amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org] >> On >>> Behalf Of rupert red >>> Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 4:47 AM >>> To: amsat-bb@amsat.org >>> Subject: [amsat-bb] dream your own sat >>> >>> >>> Hallo all... >>> >>> from a while I'm hearing about MANY different and >> interesting satellite >>> solutions... >>> >>> LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO... MOON !!! >>> >>> The problem is only ONE ! >>> >>> Amateur radio community has no money for this project, >> and will never >>> have! >>> >>> Amsat & Co will never be able to collect >> millions.... I red on this bb >>> that >>> hams has no money for an expensive ground station... >> then how can they >>> send >>> many money to Amsat? >>> >>> Public and private organizations all over the world >> have not an high >>> consideration of hams, and will never invest founds >> for them. >>> The conclusion is only ONE... we will never see a new >> oscar satellite in >>> the >>> sky (at least some student's cube). >>> >>> Let's all dream together guys. >>> >>> >>> >>> Best 73 Rupert >>> >>> >> _________________________________________________________________ >>> Condividi e organizza le tue immagini con >> Windows Live Foto. >>> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/photos.aspx >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >>> >>> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, >> version of virus >>> signature >>> database 4217 (20090704) __________ >>> >>> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >>> >>> http://www.eset.com >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, >> version of virus >>> signature >>> database 4218 (20090705) __________ >>> >>> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >>> >>> http://www.eset.com >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > _______________________________________________ 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
