[amsat-bb] Re: All Satellites

[Bruce Robertson]

On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM,  <G0MRF at aol.com> wrote:
>
> In a message dated 25/09/2009 22:10:17 GMT Standard Time, m5aka at yahoo.co.uk
>  writes:
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> You're right, the potential is there for a 3U CubeSat that can achieve  an
> apogee > 1400 km.
>
> We'd need 1U of that to house the linear  transponder but as you say the
> rest could be used for the propulsion system.
>
> As yet, as far as I'm aware, no-one has actually demonstrated a  working
> propulsion mechanism that can fit in 2U but I'm convinced this is  possible.
>
> The launch costs for a 3U CubeSat into 700 km LEO are well  within the
> reach of the Amateur community, our challenge is to develop a means  of raising
> the apogee.
>
> 73 Trevor M5AKA
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Trevor.
>
> There is a propulsion system being developed for cubesats using a hydrazine
>  mono propellant that uses catalytic decomposition to produce a large
> volume of  hot gaseous products.
>
> If initial claimed results can be repeated in production, then that unit
> can be propelled from typical LEO up to 1400km circular or 2000km  eliptical.
>  It's based on a 3U structure. It's not MEO, but its a lot more  fun than
> 500km
>
> David  G0MRF

Oh, I love this idea, and I put my vote in for the elliptical. (Not
that I have a vote :-) The occasional massive footprint would be
really neat to play with, and justify all our overkill antenna arrays.
I'm guessing we'd need the 3U format for linear transponder anyway,
since the requisite solar panel area is not available in 1U.

73, Bruce
VE9QRP