Lunar Comms Satellites

From: Alex Terrell (alexterrell_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 01/18/05 

Date: 18 Jan 2005 06:05:11 -0800

What kind of satellite communications will bases on and around the moon
need? This is not so easy, since some the most interesting locations
(the Poles, and the Earth Moon L2 point) have limite dvisibility of
Earth.

Would three satellites in a Molniya orbit provide permanent coverage at
one of the poles and at the L2 point?

Are these orbits stable around the moon, and how much would three comms
satellites weigh, asssuming astronauts might want to use space-suit
receivers (which I guess is compatible with an Earth based satellite
phone)?

Would the satellites need much modification from Earth comms satellites?

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Cold Equations
    ... Going to the surface of the moon isn't worth 0.0001% of whomever ... the otherwise typically big and complex multi-tonne sorts of satellites ... nasty surface of such a moon-dust covered terrain. ... suggest a 10 kg satellite that's taking up a cubic meter by volume just ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Re: Deep hole spotted on moon
    ... reason and could add an investigation of the hole in the Moon to their ... the MAP satellite?all of this has used satellites produced ... Don¹t confuse it with science. ... on Earth sending unmanned satellites up, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Moons Effect on Earths Wobble
    ... comparable but different orbits around the earth - say one twice as far away ... eg the bigger moon kicking the littler moon ... They could end up in a resonance, like the Jovian satellites. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Tag-team orbits and tidal locking
    ... observer in a "medium" orbit between the two satellites, ... Second half of exchange event: ... Moon were tide-locked with the Sun. ... the satellites around "o" at closest approach is 1/49 ...
    (rec.arts.sf.science)
  • Re: {OT:} How about that? A scientist says...
    ... It's my opinion that getting to the moon helped jumpstart our other robotic ... we had to develop the technology to ... satellites of prosaic purpose (communications satellites dating back to ... It would be much better to spend the money elsewhere, ...
    (alt.autos.toyota)