SpaceX launches Es’Hail-2, first geostationary amateur radio satellite

I keep seeing HEO throughout this thread. Just out of curiosity, why would we want to put an amateur radio satellite into HEO (highly elliptical orbit)? There are tracking and doppler challenges. GEO makes more sense, as long as it is specifically geostationary, not the generic geosynchronous. The generic version might also have tracking challenges, depending on the inclination.

 

Because they're more fun. I was fortunate enough to experience both OSCAR 10 and 13, and they were a ton of fun. I actually feel bad that satellite newcomers can't have that experience.

An optimally situated geostationary satellite for North America is a DX snore.

 

Good point, W6RZ. To quote a famous(?) American, "it all depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is." Reliable comm, experimentation, challenge, etc. Blinded by my career. BTW, are the chairs inductive or capacitive?

 

I designed a portable mode S station that I took to Hawaii to work my first satellite contacts. I was able to work Japan and the East Coast via Oscar 13!

Zak W1VT

 

Tracking was all the fun, skill required or do we just want to do as the liberal left would do it, everybody included even those that don't make the effort for the reward. As far as I am concerned if the average Ham cant track a HEO then the hobby has been dumb down so much. Do you think that if Facebook was available on it there would be more interest?
Some of the dribble coming out of the younger Ham's I accept as they have had the worst education and mind conditioning I have ever seem but us older guy's? With all the high orbiter failures in the past by trying to be to technical has caused this situation, you older guy's have a memory, use it! A basic KISS high orbiter that won't fail like the others and once is up and going then think about the high tech dreaming or we will again loose what we seek to revive.

 

My prediction from the 80's, was just what has happened, with the introduction of this bird.
The scary part to me, is our FCC using such a device against Amateurs, to rip away spectrum, particularly, any that squirt RF on to your neighbors, for their " Health " sake !
I'd guess the day will come, when all hams would have antennas pointing skyward, and using low power !
Be careful what you wish for !

 

Move it east. Lose AK and HI, gain most of Europe and Africa. Still have most/all of the lower 48, most of Canada, all of south America. Is there an Antarctica base in that area?

 

re: "I keep seeing HEO throughout this thread. Just out of curiosity, why would we want to put an amateur radio satellite into HEO"

Availability of "parking spaces"? (In the geostationary belt)

There are probably other reasons for HEO. One of the satellite "radio" providers was using HEO at one time, but, since I am not an 'orbital mechanic' I could not name off the cuff the trade-offs and benefits to an HEO from a standpoint of what is and isn't required from rocket "boost" phase to put a bird in GEO vs HEO.

Then there is this: GEO birds need station-keeping capability. To keep your bird where it should be an not on top of/colliding with other birds ...

 

In the meantime, this is completely fine:

Due to my antenna's height above ground and operating frequencies involved, the majority of radiated RF is radiated at a high angle anyways. Running QRP is my personal choice. However, the thought of running 1,500W into that #26 magnet wire antenna is tempting - strictly for entertainment value!

 

John well put!

Modern times equates to modern costs. In the 80's we could "Hitch a Ride" at relatively last minute for a small consideration. The same went for Repeater Sites, they were to be had for loose change or nothing. Now any vantage point (Space is the ultimate vantage point) has extreme commercial value and we are slowly forced into paying commercial rental/rates or exiting the premium sites.

In New Zealand we have built our own Satellite and our biggest challenge is to get it into Space. We had to overcome all the ITAR hurdles by building the "Bird" from scratch, even developing the microcode for the IHU.

During the period of ITAR uncertainty, until a Space Agency (Regulatory Agency) was established in our Country the Satellite was mothballed.

In 2017 AMSAT-ZL faced with the decision of Launch or mothball in a Museum made the decision to "go for it" and have a crack at getting into space.
Months followed as doors to potential Launch Partners were pried open and discussions started with the New Zealand Space Agency around the regulatory hurdles to obtain a "licence" to fly.

In parallel the "Bird" had to be refurbished and a new set of batteries were ordered and the top 10 of 20 batteries will go into the Satellite. The selection process took many months using a very clever Battery Analyser. Interestingly the first set procured a decade ago were selected from a batch of 30!

There is a thought of replacing the, already highly efficient, Solar Cells with even better ones. However the focus will now be on final testing and developing the Ionospheric Research Project ground station software and fundraising the seven figure launch fee. Quite a significant cost compared with the $50,000 worth of materials and thousands of hours of effort.

All donations gratefully accepted no matter how small. www.kiwisat.org.nz


73, Simon, ZL2FAE
Disclosure: Simon ZL2FAE is managing the Launch phase of KiwiSAT so has a vested interest.

 

One thing AMSAT has to contend with (in the USA) are ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) restrictions. ITAR restrictions have made it extremely difficult for AMSAT-NA to work with AMSAT-DL and AMSAT-UK as well as other amateur radio satellite groups around the world. This has really put a pinch on trying to leverage synergies between groups both in terms of technology sharing and financial backing. Without backing from the US government and/or US-based companies willing to provide a "ride share" capability for a GEO/HEO platform, cubesats will remain the dominant satellite platform for US hams.

And yes, I do put my money where my mouth is. I am an AMSAT member...

73,

Mark WA4KFZ

 

A HEO allows for GEO-like coverage but is limited to several hours of "hang time" (dwell time) over any one region of the Earth. You track the satellite while it is in apogee (the farthest, highest location from Earth). Relative to an observer on the ground, the satellite appears to move rather slowly across the sky, so tracking is slow and simple. In contrast, tracking a LEO cubesat with a handheld Yagi antenna is much more complicated because the satellite is moving rather fast across the sky.

Another advantage of a HEO is that the Doppler shift is greatly reduced (compared to a LEO), so receiver tuning and tracking is simplified. According to Wikipedia, the Sirius satellites (for Sirius XM radios) utilize HEO orbits. This provides 16 hours of coverage per day for each satellite in their constellation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius_Satellite_Radio#Satellite_technology

73,

Mark WA4KFZ

 

I'm leaving $15 million to my cat.