[amsat-bb] Re: AMSAT, ITAR, More AMSAT-NA Volunteers & Such .

[Michael Tondee]

Interesting stuff Alex.
 I'm currently working on an FM satellite station as that's all I can 
afford at present but I hope some of the NextGen birds will carry linear 
transponders too. At any rate, it all sounds very exciting.
73,
Michael W4HIJ
Alex, N3SQ wrote:
> For those following what was announced at the AMSAT Symposium, there are 
> two different ways AMSAT is working with the Universities:
> (a) AMSAT-NA helps a University Satellite Program: This is the case with 
> UCF, AMSAT volunteers are helping a University with their satellites.
> (b) A University helps the AMSAT-NA Satellite Program: This is the case 
> with Binghamton University, BU Students are helping build & launch AMSAT 
> satellites.
>
> The two ways are not mutually exclusive, each has benefits.
>
> The BU activity was organized to help get AMSAT back on it's engineering 
> feet and to provide continuing assistance. We're doing that by providing 
> engineering assistance and manpower to help AMSAT launch more modular 
> design satellites ASAP. We're at 35 students right now, that number can 
> grow significantly next fall at AMSAT's direction. Our goal is to get an 
> Engineering model of the NextGen satellite bus ready for the AMSAT booth 
> at the Dayton Hamvention in May 2010. Engineering model says we have the 
> modified spaceframe with deployable wings ready, power system ready 
> (with mock supercaps & solar cells) and the non-flight boards installed 
> - basically stuffed 'n mounted on a stand for your viewing.
>
> NextGen is an open-source spacecraft bus, it will provide a stable & 
> robust platform for any university to build an experiment to fit within 
> the bus.
> I would personally advocate AMSAT launching up to two or three of the 
> NextGen-class spacecraft in different 600-800km, sun-synchronous orbits 
> to provide as much worldwide  coverage as possible. Given the proposed 
> characteristics of the NextGen spacecraft bus, there is a strong 
> possibility of carrying an IF Matrix Switch with L/S RF capability 
> instead of an experiment payload. This would provide capabilities 
> similar to AO-51  (V/U, V/S, L/U, L/S) but using SDX with an IF Matrix 
> Switch.
>
> By using Supercapacitors instead of batteries there is a very good 
> chance of having a significant satellite lifespan (15+ years).
>
> All technology developed can be applied to other classes of AMSAT 
> spacecraft, just as NextGen is using modules from the ARISSat-class 
> spacecraft. I would expect that ARISSat-2 will most likely take 
> advantage of the power system modifications developed for NextGen.
>
> The possibilities are endless, all it takes are more people interested 
> in working on a module.
>
> Alex, N3NP
>
>
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