[aprssig] AMSAT Plans?

[Peter Laws N5UWY]

On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 9:39 AM Steve Dimse <steve at dimse.com> wrote:
>
> I miss AO-13 as well. I think P3D/AO-40 soured AMSAT on big money launches, and then the small satellite craze took over. I too would love to see a new phase 3 bird. My satellite DXCC has been stuck at 94 for 20 years!


More, I think the money dried up.  There are a lot of hams that don't
understand how hard space is.  Especially if what you launch has a
motor.

My understanding is that there is another "tri-star" space frame
around of the same design as AO-10 and AO-13 and the one that splashed
(Phase 3A).

At one time, it had the pre-launch/pre-commissioning name of Phase 3E
and later "Phase 3 Express".  I've lost track of where that got to but
it may be what got caught up in some sort of ITAR thing (can't have
them Germans looking at  our stuff and whatnot).

It's hard to tell because AMSAT-NA's web presence is  ... sub-optimal
(I'm looking forward to this year's Board election - it's the only
reason I renewed and if there isn't turnover, I won't renew again).

Getting a ride into a suitable orbit -- these aren't LEO -- is a whole
'nother problem, of course, but you have to have a payload.
Chicken/egg, right?  If you don't have a payload, why search for a
ride?  If you have a ride, but no payload ... ?  Tough problem.  I'm
game - I enjoyed AO-13 back in the day (and I think we made a QSO or
two on AO-10 as well).


-- 
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!