Re: [amsat-bb] an amateur satellite for $295

[John Wright <g4dmf@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 21:06 18/07/2006, you wrote:
>It looks like Bigelow Aerospace will offer a ride to space for $295 
>for a golf ball sized object. Maybe we can fit a transponder and 
>solar panels in that size. It would be a pretty cheap ride. The 
>problem is that the "golf ball" will be inside a metalized ballon. 
>Not sure if RF can get out and sun can get in.
>
>Here's the link:
>
>http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4624
>
>They also launched the first of these satellites. The satellite is 9 
>meters in diameter and apparently it is magnitude 2-3 brightness. 
>The keplerian elements are just out:
>
>GENESIS-1
>1 29252U 06029A   06198.46964785  .00000204  00000-0  28214-4 0    99
>2 29252  64.5117 162.1562 0004679 157.4977 202.6385 15.02722388   739

Thanks for the keps, I watched it go over last night, just before 
Midnight BST, needed Binoculars, so I don't think it was quite 
magnitude 2-3, it was only just naked-eye visible, but easy with 10 X 
50 Binoculars, Keps seemed about 45 seconds early, but it was exactly 
where it was supposed to be.
G4DMF, John 
----
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