Re: [amsat-bb] Geostationary Satellites?

[Andrew Reynolds <calliban@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, seeing as how you've decided to post a reply to my message
in private to the BB, here goes the odd end....

Yes, it happened, that payload was launched and it was a waste, Time
marches on. The point I was hoping to make was that we (all of us)
need to be able to respond quickly to this sort of opprotunity.
IMHO, it would be not such a bad idea to keep a few items (such
as transmitters and receivers for the more popular/useful satellite
bands) on hand that are space-rated so that we might be able to 
respond to such an opportunity. I will be informed of the cost/
effort of keeping such hardware 'just lying around', but missing
a free ride for lack of hardware doesn't seem right....
 No, I wasn't thinking of launching a payload from Tonga, but of
using one of the several GEO slots they have as a place to put
a ham payload. They've been known to "lease" them to commercial
operators, so I thought for the right consideration....

All I can remember, and it's about time to go to work, so all
for now.

Later,
Andy

On Mon, 21 Feb 2000, Frank Grossman wrote:

> Hi Andy... and others...
> 
> Interesting comments about the geosynch concept...
> 
> >>500-pounds of ballast<<
> 
> What a waste!  Hopefully we can learn ways to take advantage of such 
> opportunities in the future!  So much mass would presumably allow us to put 
> up something with considerably more juice than a picosat.  Of course it
> wouldn't be easy or cheap to get the contractors and owners 
> involved to integrate an amateur payload into their satellite.
> 
> Launching our own satellite from someplace like Tonga?  (A35-land to the DXCC 
> buffs)  Do such opportunities exist?  Does tonga have a launch pad?
> 
> As for picosats at geosynch; the low power would be a problem, but if that's 
> all we could squeeze in given the constraints involved, it still might be a 
> great learning experience and demonstration.  Also, might digital signal 
> processing make it possible for small stations to work it?  I understand that 
> relatively modest stations can work EME now--a mode that was once the realm 
> of monster dishes and big amplifiers.
> 
> That's my 2 cents... again!
> 
> 73 to all,
> Frank
> 

----
Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org