[amsat-bb] Elections HEO QO-100' Linear NB + Digital WB

[Bruce Perens]

As it happens, Applied Ion is reporting partial success with a thruster
design today: https://twitter.com/Applied_Ion
His cost per thruster is much closer to Zach's $100. Two thrusters of a
previous design of his are scheduled to fly on the AMSAT-EA Genesis
satellites, NET September. These are Open Source designs.

    Thanks

    Bruce

On Tue, Jul 21, 2020 at 2:02 PM Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB <
amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:

> On 07/21/20 15:33, Dave Hartzell via AMSAT-BB wrote:
> > Lots of interesting stuff going on with electric propulsion....  it may
> be
> > slow, but it's a cost effective way to raise an orbit.
> >
> > https://www.enpulsion.com/technology/
> >
> > Online ordering available!
>
> I, too, would love to see electric propulsion on one of AMSAT's birds.
> However, it is not as simple as "buy this off the shelf":
>
> - Power: One must also consider the 40W required at nominal thrust. This
> has implications for generation (solar cell area/efficiency required),
> management (circuit board space & heat dissipation), and storage (battery).
>
> - Physical integration: How big is it and how much does it weigh?
>
> - Control: The algorithms to alter one's orbit in space are known, but
> much planning, coding, and testing is needed to make sure money isn't
> wasted by doing something that causes early de-orbit.
>
> - Testing: Where does AMSAT obtain the testing facilities necessary to
> ensure proper operation, or even inclusion in the launch manifest,
> should the ride provider dictate it.
>
> All of these problems are solvable with enough time, appropriate funding
> for all aspects of the project, and motivated, knowledgeable volunteers.
>
> As for the basic cost of the the thruster: I'll chip in $100. We need
> only 489 more people, roughly, to do the same.
>
> Who's with me?
>
> --- Zach
> N0ZGO
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-- 
Bruce Perens - CEO at stealth startup. I'll tell you what it is eventually
:-)