🚀 go-pugleaf

Regarding Geosynchronous satellites launched from a DC-1


> Allen W. Sherzer writes:
>
>  Maybe you use lower costs to fly redundant satellites, each less relaible.
> When one breaks, it uses a high efficiency electric engine to come back to
> LEO where it is repaired, refueled, and returned. Maybe we abandon comsats
> in GEO and place them in LEO. I can think of lots of alternatives.


        An interesting idea.  Modern comsats have several kilowatts of power,
enough to run an ion or arcjet engine.  An electric engine running off a few
kilowatts has a mass of only a few kg, so could easily be carried on the
vehicle.  The same ion engine could be used for station keeping - all that
would be required is a larger propellant supply to allow for return to LEO.
A major problem would probably be radiation damage due to having to spend
some months in the Van Allen belts as the satellite spirals down to LEO.
This damages solar cells, but if the array is replacable, this might not be
too bad.  Other electronics might have to be replaced because of radiation
damage, but during servicing it might be desirable to replace them anyway for
updating and extension of service life.


--
Bruce Dunn    Vancouver, Canada   Bruce_Dunn@mindlink.bc.ca