Re: [amsat-bb] eagle costs

[Patrick Green <pagreen@xxxxxxxxx>]

To add to the below:  Why do things that are "space certified" so
expensive?  I would like to know more on the subject of batteries. 
These are the things that seem to be the most sensitive of the whole
package.

73 de Pat --- KA9SCF.


On 03 Sep 2004 18:49:05 -0400, Chris N1ZPP <n1zpp_amsat@snowjournal.com> wrote:
> 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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