Re: [amsat-bb] SuitSat Reentry Estimate

["Robert Bruninga" <bruninga@xxxxxxxx>]

>>> Robert V Johnson <w7lrd@juno.com> 03/02/06 11:09 PM >>>
>The larger the size to mass to means it would slow 
>down faster with in a thinner atmosphere.  Whereas 
>a very small dense object with say an equal mass 
>would stay up longer.  

Yes, and we even added 1.5kg of Lead to our small RAFT
satellite to try to get more life out of it.  It will be ejected
from the Space Shuttle this November and so will only live 
about 4 months.  Adding the lead should give us two more 
months.  It was hard to add the lead in such a small satellite. 
See the picture!  This small 5" cubesat weighs almost 4 kg:

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/craft/photos/RAFT%20bottom%20view%20022x.JPG

The kapton tape covered materials are all lead. including
the large 6" square central panel surronding the HF 
antenna spool.  These RAFT and MARScom satellites
are the latest in our small satellite lab.  For info on our
LABSat models see:

http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/labsats.html

We use these TNC based labsats in our aerospace
lab course beacuse they have everything we need.
Transmitters, receivers, data, telemetry, and command
control.  ANd work like our ones in space, PCSAT-1,
PCSAT2, and soon ANDE, RAFT and MARScom.

de Wb4APR, Bob
----
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