[amsat-bb] AO-40 Orbit

[David Rush <ky0dr@xxxxxxxx>]

>Take a look at this page on the amsat-dl site.  The text is in German but
>the pictures get the message across.
>
>http://www.amsat-dl.org/journal/dl6dbn/adlj-40g.htm

This was a good description.  Thanks, Lee.

But I have a question.  In the final target orbit and orientation, do the ALAT/ALON values stay fixed throughout the orbit?  If so, I'm assuming that the bird 
always points at an imaginary far away point in space, regardless of the MA.  Assuming that, I'm guessing that the target ALAT/ALON will have the bird 
antennas pointing at earth at apogee.  Which means that it will be pointing exactly away from earth at perigee, which I assume means it will be 
incommunicado at and near perigee (since all the antennas are facing the wrong direction).

I may have dreamed it up myself, but I was under the impression that the bird did a one-revolution-per-orbit spin (constantly changing ALON), which would 
have the antennas pointing at earth at apogee and perigee, and not too far off in between (since the spin speed would be constant, but the progression of 
the sub-satellite point around the earth is not constant due to the elliptical orbit).

Do I understand this correctly, or have I failed my entrance examination to orbital mechanics school?

David, ky0dr

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