🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <18949@mindlink.bc.ca> Bruce_Dunn@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Dunn) writes:
>Regarding Geosynchronous satellites launched from a DC-1
>
>        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.

After you discard the solar cells and electronics, what do you have left
but some aluminum framing and a bit of plumbing? It hardly seems worth the 
bother when you consider that you've lost the use of the system for several
months. Transponder time is $400 an hour. For a 24 transponder bird, a
downtime of 3 months equals $20.7 million in lost revenue. You still have
to produce most of the expensive satellite system replacement parts, do an 
LEO launch, EVA servicing requiring major systems overhaul, and reinsertion 
into Clarke orbit. Can you do all that for $20.7 million less than just 
launching a whole new bird with a newly fabricated aluminum frame?

Gary
-- 
Gary Coffman KE4ZV          |    You make it,     | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems |    we break it.     | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary
534 Shannon Way             |    Guaranteed!      | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary      
Lawrenceville, GA 30244     |                     | emory!ke4zv!gary@gatech.edu