[amsat-bb] Re: Satellite Usage - 2012

[Trevor .]

--- On Tue, 28/8/12, Jim Jerzycke <kq6ea at verizon.net> wrote:
> I think most American hams associate "cube sat" with "easy
> sat", which equals an FM satellite, like AO-51.

To me CubeSat equals Linear Transponder satellite. Not only have we had Delfi-C3 but in the coming months four CubeSats carrying linear transponders will be launched: 

- Delfi-n3Xt
- FunCube-1
- TurkSat-3USat
- UKube-1

There is no technical reason why future CubeSats should be confined to the low 500-800 km orbits that are in the price range of the amateur community. A number of CubeSat missions planned for 2013 will test propulsion systems to raise the orbit. 

With fold-out solar panels to boost power and propulsion we could in the coming years see linear transponder CubeSats in orbits high enough (1500-2500 km) to permit Intercontinental DX working.

If you want higher bands like 2.4 GHz just have a look at what Aeneas is doing. http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=9277 

73 Trevor M5AKA