[amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 sat VS US military operations

[Dave hartzell]

Luc,

As long as the USAF Academy students are legally licensed amateur
operators, what is the issue?  If they can take advantage of an AO-51
"downtime" to perform an experiment, I would hope that the control
operators and AMSAT-NA could accommodate them, and any other
educational non-profit organization.  I didn't see anywhere in Drew's
email stating that the S-Band mode would be restricted to the USAF-A.
As far as I know, there is nothing stopping anyone (military or
otherwise) from using AO-51 or any Amsat (with or without the public's
knowledge).

If you're concerned about military involvement in AMSAT or any other
space activity, you'll be hard-pressed to find a launch vehicle that
was NOT subsidized by a government or military organization.

73,

Dave
NøTGD

On 2/14/07, Luc Leblanc <lucleblanc6 at videotron.ca> wrote:
> On 14 Feb 2007 at 0:00, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote:
>
> > Luc,
> >
> > Your research is faulty. This information below is not the same Falconsat as the USAFA satellite I mentioned:
>
> Here is a link where the falconsats are depicted:
>
> http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/fal
> consat-3.htm
>
> I respecfully submit to your attention theses sats are Military satellite made
> by, launch by, and controlled by military (even cadets).
>
> Here is the mission and payloads of the Falconsats
>
> Falcon gold
>
> Falcon Gold was an US Air Force Academy experiment to demonstrate use of GPS
> navigation in orbits above the Navstar constellation. The instrument package
> was bolted to the Centaur-2A stage of an Atlas-2A, which launched the DSCS-3
> B13 satellite. All systems operated nominally during the successful mission
> until primary battery power on the spacecraft was depleted. Cadets participated
> in all phases of the mission including systems design, fabrication, launch
> vehicle integration, qualification testing, launch site operations, and mission
> operations.
>
>
> FalconSat 1
>
> The first free-flying Academy satellite, FalconSat-1 carried the CHAWS
> (Charging Hazards and Wake Studies) experiment developed by the Physics
> Department at the Academy. The launch was successful and the satellite was
> deployed into its orbit without problems. However, the following weeks, cadets
> working in the Academy ground station struggled to bring the satellite totally
> on-line. Initial communication contacts with the satellite went well, but
> during subsequent it became apparent that the spacecraft's power system was not
> functioning correctly to properly charge the batteries during daylight.
> Unfortunately, after about 1 month, the mission was satellite the mission was
> terminated.
>
> While FalconSAT-1 was a technical failure, it was a resounding academic
> success. Cadets participated in all phases of the mission from conceptual
> design though assembly, integration, testing, launch and on-orbit operations.
>
>
> FalconSat 2
>
> The mission of the FalconSat-2 will be to measure space plasma phenomena that
> are known to adversely affect space-based communication, such as the Global
> Positioning Satellite (GPS), and other civil and military communications.
> Originally planned to be deployed from a Shuttle mission, it has been moved to
> a dedicated launch on the maiden flight of the Falcon-1 rocket.
>
>
> FalconSat 3
>
> FalconSAT-3, is a 50 kg microsatellite being developed by faculty and cadets,
> and is the Air Force Academy´s first attempt at achieving three axis attitude
> determination and control (ADCS). FalconSAT-3 will carry three payloads to
> conduct DoD research. The attitude requirements for FalconSAT-3 include
> pointing the satellite within +/- five degrees of ram direction, as well as
> attitude knowledge to within one degree. FalconSAT-3 will provide sophisticated
> characterization of plasma turbulence in the F region ionosphere. Significant
> advances in technology have enabled miniaturization of instruments that enable
> comprehensive measurements of both ambient and spacecraft-specific turbulence.
>
> The three primary experiments include
>
>     * the Flat Plasma Spectrometer (FLAPS), a planar electrostatic analyzer
> used to measure ion spectra differential in energy with a DE/E ~ 4%;
>     * the Plasma Local Anomalous Noise Environment (PLANE) experiment, a
> bifurcated retarding potential analyzer capable of distinguishing between
> ambient and spacecraft-induced turbulence; and
>     * the Micro-Propulsion Attitude Control System (MPACS), consisting of a set
> of Teflon-fueled pulsed plasma thrusters used to stabilize satellite attitude.
>
> The FalconSAT-3 satellite bus is custom fabricated at the United States Air
> Force Academy (USAFA) and is manifested for launch into a 35° inclination, 560
> km circular orbit in late 2006. Satellite operations will be managed from the
> USAFA ground station. Complementary ground-based observations of the ionosphere
> will be taken both at USAFA and at remote locations at low magnetic latitudes,
> where equatorial ionospheric processes are particularly effective at
> stimulating plasma turbulence.
>
> You are right about the FALCONSAT NSSDC ID: 2000-004D
> Other Names* 26064 As you not quote FalconSat 3 you confirm that FalonSat 3 is
> a military satellite. There is some military spy satellite and some "science"
> military satellite, My point is why AMSAT-NA is helping the US air force with
> an amateur radio satellite?
>
> If you read carefully i wrote "Did AMSAT-NA will condemned military endeavour
> or support it?" I never say it was an AMSAT-NA project "hopefully" .
>
> You wrote " please be patient as we cooperate with our friends at the USAFA"
> Placing  AO-51 an AMSAT-NA amateur satellite in a configuration to help "our
> friends at the USAFA"  just make me ask again  "Did AMSAT-NA will condemned
> military endeavour or support it?".
>
> I never speak about any conspiracy but as you raised the subject could be an
> AMSAT-NA official can also do his homework and tell us how they let an amateur
> radio satellite involved in a military conducted business?
>
> If you feel pointed out it's probably because the shoe fits!  Otherwise you
> will never come up with you hollow post where you don't even give us a glimpse
> of an answer about my questions.
>
>
>
> Set aside the good old volunteer saga and their time spent that we all know and
> that we admire and just focus your attention on this part of you post
> "badgering by the likes of you may deprive hams from the use of a fine
> satellite."  Reads if you don't let us do what we want and you don't shut your
> /x%6 mouth you will don't get this satellite! That's what i wrote "driven by
> any floating interest who probably blackmailed them "AGAIN" note the "AGAIN"
> and change the "them" for "us".
>
> Just an historical note. There was a bunch of rocket scientist in Peenemünde
> who from 1936 to 1943 where making also scientific rocket search and test and
> you probably know also  their final product! the V-1 and V-2 rocket.
>
> AMSAT-NA should not be involved with any military testing or actions nor
> letting an IARU/ITU OSCAR satellite be used to help an armed forces wing.
>
> I suggest a former letter of protest should be sent to the IARU condemning this
> military satellite use.
>
> P.S. If my home work is not correct this time don't hesitate to correct me!
>
>
>
> "-"
>
>
> Luc Leblanc VE2DWE
> Skype VE2DWE
> www.qsl.net/ve2dwe
> WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE
>
>
>
>
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