Re: [amsat-bb] Special Bulletin ANS-063.02 BOD Meeting

["laura halliday" <marsgal42@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"David M. Tipton <tiptond@dnrconsulting.com> wrote:

>Did I read that correctly to say they are going to try and
>put one in GEO orbit? Or merely place in Geo Transfer orbit?

Here's what the BoD said (emphasis mine):

>Accordingly, the Board of Directors approved the following
>three projects.
>
>First, a new satellite to be placed into a *geostationary
>transfer orbit*...

Lots of launches go to GTO, and are thus (relatively) easy
to come by. If we *stay* in GTO, we need no propulsion
system, making the spacecraft lighter, cheaper and simpler.
Safer, too, needing no flammable or explosive things
on board.

As long as the perigee is reasonably high, we can get
a good lifetime from such a satellite. This was an
issue with earlier launch vehicles, but it isn't an
issue with Ariane 5 - look at AO-40's pre-thruster
orbit.

The communications range is good and, unlike, a Molniya
orbit, our friends in VK, ZL, ZS, LU, etc. won't feel
shortchanged on access time.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH     "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg                     pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 15.042 N 122 59.053 W       - Hospital/Shafte
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

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