[amsat-bb] GEO sats and the future

[Paul Stoetzer]

Just to summarize - right now, there are three serious HEO/GEO
projects in progress:

1. Phase 4A is the S/X linear transponder payload on the Qatari
Es'HailSat-2 scheduled to launch late this year. AMSAT-DL has done the
work on the amateur payload. It will be in a geostationary orbit that
is not visible to North America (26 degrees east).
2. Phase 4B is a planned C/X digital payload on a U. S. government
satellite launching in the next few years. AMSAT-NA and Virginia Tech
are involved with this. It will be in a geosynchronous, but not
geostationary orbit over the Western Hemisphere.
3. Phase 3E in a Molniya HEO orbit. AMSAT-NA and Virginia Tech are
involved with this. Transponder payloads TBD.

A global network of 3 linked geostationary satellites covering the
whole world would be pretty neat, but I think we'll need people to see
what we as a community can do with each of the two Phase 4
transponders planned right now before the support (read $$$$$) for
such a thing would be available.

73,

Paul, N8HM



On Thu, Mar 24, 2016 at 2:30 PM, Jeff Moore <tnetcenter at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have been in the hobby for over 12 years now and I've played around a bit
> with working the sats, but I haven't been following the geosynchronous
> satellite activity very closely since I've seen how difficult it is to get
> launches of any kind.
>
> Now that it appears that we are going to get to launch a satellite into
> geosynchronous orbit, I'm curious what the future may hold for that
> particular activity.  For example, I think it's fantastic that we will soon
> have a sat in geo orbit, but I'm curious what if any plans are there to
> potentially put up 2 or 3 more geo sats with full time linking between
> them?   That has the potential to give the ham radio community global
> communications via satellite.
>
> Any thoughts or news on that front??   Or am I just not informed enough on
> existing plans?
>
> Thanks and  7 3,
>
> Jeff Moore  --  KE7ACY
> Bend, Oregon
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