[amsat-bb] Re: RS14/Oscar 21

[George Henry]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Marranca, Jr" <KB2HSH at amsat.org>
To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 11:18 AM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: RS14/Oscar 21


> Thanks for the input, Drew.
>
[snip]
>
> Another super-satellite such as what AO-40 should have been would be nice,
> but let's face it: they are really expensive and perhaps a bit too
> complicated.  Instead of one monster satellite, why not build many smaller
> ones?  Less sophisticated ones?
[snip]


The biggest reason is the cost to launch...  unless we can get a free or 
almost free ride, or piggyback on someone else's payload, we need to get as 
much "bang" for our launch dollar as we can.  And IF we got a free ride, I, 
for one, would not want to see it squandered.

Pretty much only universities, for-profit corporations, and the military can 
afford to launch a lot of little satellites.