What is realistically achievable with a 3U cubesat with an ion engine?
Cost of the satellite?
Cost of the launch?
Time/cost to develop ion engine?
How many month/years would it take for an ion engine to boost a 3U
cubesat from 600 km to 2000 km?
What is the altitude limit for an ion engine?
Impractical to slowly cross the radiation belt?
Could a 3U cubesat with deployable solar panels power a 1 watt, 100 kHz,
mode U/V transponder?
I would contribute $1000 to a fund raising campaign for a financially
and technically viable plan to (for example) launch in 3 years and
deploy a transponder in "high" orbit 2 years later.
I probably would not contribute to a fund raising campaign for a
whizbang 3U cubesat destined for a 600 km orbit.
Wayne Estes
Oakland, Oregon, USA, CN83ik
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