Re: [amsat-bb] eagle costs

[Chris N1ZPP <n1zpp_amsat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is an interesting subject and something I've thought a lot about
for a while now.

For those of us that don't understand the all the details involved, why
exactly does a "cheap" satellite cost $110k?  Unless I'm missing
something, I'd think one could pull together the right parts for under
$5k.

So, where's the cost?  Do those guys in dust suits cost a lot of money? 
Do the vibration tests cost a lot of money?  Does the launch cost a lot
of money?  If an amateur satellite could fly on a commercial load as
balast, why does it cost much of anything?

How about this for cost... What about flying a small sat into orbit atop
an amateur rocket?  I bet there's an amateur rocket group somewhere out
there chomping at the idea of being the first amateur group to put a
satellite in orbit.  So why not team up?  Lets see if an amateur
satellite could be built for under $10k and launched on an amateur
rocket for very little cost.  $25k for the whole project, or am I being
naive?

--N1ZPP
//Chris


On Fri, 2004-09-03 at 13:53, wa6fwf wrote:
> Hi All,
>    having read the latest journal and taking note of Robins "guesstimate"  of 
> the 3 million dollar price tag of EAGLE, I had to wonder that if we cant 
> raise 110k for ECHO how are we possibly going to do this?
> 
>    I can only hope that cheaper launch possibilities are being persued or that 
> we might luck out a get a discounted or free ride from our non-profit 
> status...
> 
>   Another possibility is that everyone at a minimum joins up and becomes a 
> member if they are not already one and would consider making a donation on 
> top of their membership.
> 
>    I'm not sure that Robins suggestion of making the membership fees $150 
> would fly very far...  but the point is taken... if you want a sat the money 
> has to come from somewhere.....
> 
>   The only other alternative would be to downsize Eagle with maybe just mode 
> L/S and drop anything else off, (I picked that mode since a lot of people 
> already have  the mode S equipment from ao40 and L up was becoming popular, 
> but mostly because the antennas are kept small), just keep it small, simple 
> and cheap and then less weight means  a cheaper launch....
> 
>     Maybe a less desirable orbit but a simpler cheaper solid fuel boost?
> 
> Anyone else have any ideas how we can get this show on the road?
> 
> 73
> Kevin
> WA6FWF
> #19623
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