Re: [amsat-bb] Idea for more satellites in short time

["Robert Oler" <cvn65vf94@xxxxxxx>]

AO-40 was designed to fit the available launch space so we would have got 
one
AO-10. The launch costs much more than the satellite. The only reason that 
we
get any HEOs is that AMSAT-DL (actually the university it is affiliated 
with)
has an arrangement with Arianespace to make use of extra space on launch
vehicles. We don't get that opportunity in the U.S. because our government
decided to privatize the launch business and that was not feasible.

73,

John
KD6OZH


<<

Hello John.  Not so sure I buy that.  There are two scenarios.

The first is that we launch all at one time (there have been multiple 
amateur sat launches).  We could have built "multiple birds" and launched 
then "all at one time" in a container (sorry its late here) that did the 
load bearing for the Ariane V launch...aka if we launched one we could have 
launched "more" had we built the device that way.

Yes the cost would have gone up (multiple rockets etc) but maybe down to if 
we got rid of things like three axis stabilization etc.

Then lets got to well we dont launch all at one time.  Yes launch cost are 
the same but other cost per bird are not and we build future birds for 
future launches.


The mistake as I see it in AO-40 was to make the design a "easy sat" for 
very small arrays.  Sorry with Amateur Radio you need antennas.  I fought a 
community association (irony I am now President of it but wasnt then) to get 
antennas allowed.  I spent a lot of money and effort and with the help of 
others we won.  The military has birds that have big antennas that allow 
snake eaters to phone home with not a lot of noodle but they have billions.

Finally I would really like to see a serious lessons learned document.  As 
best as I can figure (and I admit I dont have all the facts so this is just 
my opionion now) somethings were not correct in the "launch prep" and that 
essentially caused the problem.

I investigate airplane accidents for a living and everything I have read so 
far about AO-40's problems (particularly the big bang) seem well common and 
preventable if well good tiger teams are used.  What the heck...its just a 
hobby.

Robert G. Oler WB5MZO

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