[amsat-bb] Re: Moon Missions are possible

Tue Oct 16 07:41:40 PDT 2007

If we are forgetting about the rocket contest would it not be simpler to
toss the camera idea all together too? 

The cost for the Russian lunar fly by trip is $100 million per person
(Source
http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Lunar.Details). I
would be really surprised if they would crack the hatch to toss a
satellite and remember that human space flight certification is not
simple. Might want to forget that idea too.

If NASA is going to the moon in 2010, AMSAT better have someone
submitting proposals to the design team building the landers NOW! It
takes about 3-4 years to get through the process and you'll want to be
fully integrated instead of a last minute add on that can also be a last
minute removal. It will be a much easier road to be part of an unmanned
craft. Bob can tell you how much fun it is to certify hardware for a
manned space flight. Human spaceflight certification is not simple.

How do you aim the gain antennas once the lander is down? I presume it
matters greatly where the lander is on the moon as to how complex the
aiming mechanism will be.

As you state, power is the biggest challenge. Need to find that out soon
before plans can really move forward. 

Too bad we didn't get in on the SELENE project from Japan
(http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/selene/index_e.html), we'd be in orbit
around the moon now. 

Kenneth - N5VHO

-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of MM
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 6:47 AM
To: Ric Letson, NB2E; amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Moon Missions are possible

Here is my 2-cents.

Forgot about the rocket contest.  
Building a rocket to fly and land on the moon is beyond most of our
capabilities.  The amateur radio community has very limited funds and
only ~2 million users world wide.  My suggestion for getting to the moon
is to Piggyback on someone else's rocket.  Just like we have been doing
for years with Arian and Leo-sat applications.  Lets plan on going to
the moon without the contest.

NASA is going to the Moon starting in 2010-2015 with Unmanned landers.
So, why build a rocket and lander when we can hitch a ride on the NASA
lander.
Look at all of the money we can save.  No rocket, No navigation, No
controlled lander. All we have to worry about is getting a cube sat size
box to pass the tough nasa flight saftey requirments.  And we could have
it running in 5 years or less from the moon.

Keep It Simple Details.

Camera:
Re-use NASA existing lander cameras and use those to send back to earth
a few SSTV or digital images via Amateur Radio.  When ever possible,
reuse existing hardware, do not redesign the wheel.

Transmitter:	
	A simple Mode B / J Transponder (2 meter and 440), for SSB/CW.
Sorry the moon is too far away for FM.  We can copy the Analog
Transponder circuits for AO-10. 
The A0-10 satellite is still running when it has good sun, so that
proves the concept of the stable Analog circuit.  Avoid DSP and complex
digital circuits, Radiation will kill them.
I chose Mode B and J becaue this is the most popular format, its what
the hams want!  We do not want GHZ!

Antennas:
	If possible try to reuse the existing antennas from
the Lander.   If not, then stuff on a pair of 9 dBd
Helix loops.

Power:
	Here is the hard part.  I still do not know what the plans are
for providing power to the landers.  If it's Nuclear, Great, we will
have power for 24/7. Solar panels would work for 14 days per month. If
its battery only, we are kaput.

As for the contest, If some billion dollar university wants to take on
the project, Great.  The ham community can design the transmitter and
focus on what we do well and leave the rest to the billion-dollar
university.   

Other deep space Flights:
There are some Russian companies looking into the possibility of
Moon-Flyby-Tourist rockets.  Tourist can pay $50 million and then fly to
the space station.
 After a few days on the space station, they will then fly to the Moon.
They will not land; they will just do a few orbits and then return to
earth.  Now we will have the opportunity to put ham gear on the Tourist
rockets and maybe even toss a ham satellite out the door from Moon
Orbit.

73 Miles WF1F

www.marexmg.org

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