[amsat-bb] Re: P3E?

[Bruce Robertson]

Quoting Mel Roberts <w3mr at erols.com>:

> Is there any recent update to the status of P3E and a potential launch
> date 
> and launch vehicle?
> The AMSAT-DL web site is out of date as is AMSAT-NA.
> 73
>    Mel W3MR


My favorite source for these sorts of inquiries is the Amsat-dl's Übersicht
aller Amateurfunksatelliten, currently at:
http://www.amsat-dl.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=102

It records the opimistic Nov. 2008 as a launch date. However, it also
provides a link to this document, 
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2007/p3e_update.htm
which informs us that barring a ESA launch the backup plan is Soyuz launch
also at Kourou. In that case, we're waiting until 2009. It could be that
2009-10 are our years to return to HEO in force: SSETI-ESEO, Eagle and P3E
may well fly in that timeframe.

This web page bears some good news, which I just noticed recently. The
Chinese are seeking freq. coordination for CAS-1, a V/U sat with a linear
transponder, FM repeater and 500mW power. Alas the orbit is in the 700km
range, not the excellent high apogee of, say, FO-29 at 1321 km.

And, of course, the next most exciting moment for us is Dec.'s PSLV cubesat
launch, which will include Delfi-C3, a university cubesat that will convert
to a low-power linear transponder satellite after its research mission is
over.