Building your own satellite?

[Guest Burg]

I was sitting in physics class, and we were talking about orbiting objects, satellite's, and I thought to myself, what would it take to make my own satellite and put it into orbit.

 

What will it do? Not much...maybe take a few pictures if its not hard to do, and then maybe just be like Sputnik and send back beeps every now and then.

 

So, It would serve little to no purpose, and it would be extremely small. It's just the fun of building it and getting it up there. But what would the materials include? Estimated cost? Size of a rocket for a Sputnik if not smaller sized satellite? Are civilians even allowed to put their own satellites into orbit?

 

It just seemed interesting...having you're satellite? That'd be fun. Any help/info would be cool.

 

Thanks!

[CPL.Luke]

well you would need a plainticket to nevada (mojavve desert in particular)

 

you would need to talk to nasa and the faa (so that your launch vehicle doesn't hit a plane) (nasa needs to register it so that some country wouldn't think were trying to nuke them and you start a nuclear war) (just the little things )

 

as for materials there are type I? (not totally sure just know its a big rocket engine) rocket engines which can lift a rocket 10000 feet each (roughly). so you string several of them together make a multistage booster, design a launch vehicle, gyro, some way of ensuring it goes on one course so nasa will let you launch it, and that you don't shoot down a sattelite which costs millions of dollars.

 

as for the cost of this, alot probably at least over 1000$ and probably alot more.

[Gilded]

"Are civilians even allowed to put their own satellites into orbit?"

 

I highly doubt it. It would be awesome to even send a baseball with "The first spaceball" written on it to orbit the earth, but as I said, I don't think the authorities are going to let you do it. NASA (or similar) should start a "Launch an item of your choice to orbit" campaign. "Kids - launch an item to orbit! Now only 150,000$!"

[Ophiolite]

"Are civilians even allowed to put their own satellites into orbit?"

 

You can if you are Canadian. This from the Transport Canada - Launch Safety Office:

Sub-orbital/Orbital Rocket Launches require a launch authorization pursuant to CAR 602.44. An application for a launch authorization may be obtained and must be sent to the Launch Safety Office in Ottawa — AARRG.

 

A launch authorization will be issued if Transport Canada is satisfied that adequate measures are in place that deal with the safety of the launch. The authorization may also contain some additional conditions to enhance launch safety.

[aurigus]

I think the price tag to send anything up into space would be the main restriction. Even using technology that is available, I couldn't see it costing less than $1 Million. Not to mention the legality of such a thing. I remember some big news after the Patriot act was put into place about restrictions on model rocketry.

[YT2095]

you could easily do it with a lottery win! without doubt! )

 

you can buy ex military ICBM rockets from the Russians for example and with such a light payload orbit would be quite easy!

 

I personaly wouldn`t like to put a cost value on it as I don`t know enough about the liscensing etc...but you could easily do it

[CPL.Luke]

I think the biggest part of the project would be rocket design

 

 

you would need to design a multistage booster, with a gyro callibrated so that the rocket would fly true. not to mention you would need to design it to fyly into space and come down again without either interfering with or colliding with any sattlites

[Gilded]

"you can buy ex military ICBM rockets from the Russians for example and with such a light payload orbit would be quite easy! :)"

 

When it comes to buying weapons grade plutonium or used military equipment - consult Russia.

[RICHARDBATTY]

Could you buy one then send it back under its own power then claim you returned it because it was faulty.

[MolecularMan14]

I think that the last thing we need is more space junk, but I wouldnt mind being able to have a personal TV, radio, internet, or imaging satellite . How much do u think it would cost to get a personal imaging satellite into space? Something that I could control to watch me, or any other place on earth, up close with incredible focus and clarity :-D good to wish!

[[Tycho?]]

Hahaha, I like how the first post is asking it like he wants to build a tesla coil or some other home project.

 

You would need several million dollars anyway. You need a launch site. You need to design your rocket, and so you need a ton of knowlege in engineering, math and physics. You need to fuel it. You need to have some sort of guidance system. And you need to make it legal somehow, which you wouldn't. There's no way governments are going to tolerate random people throwing crap into orbit. What if you shot something at the ISS?

[Rasori]

'']What if you shot something at the ISS?

Ah, who cares? The ISS can take micrometeorites travelling hundreds of times faster, it can take a simple homemade rocket that weighs, I don't know... 20 kg, at orbital velocity

[Jake712]

Also to withstand the impact of minature UFO's driven by drunk inch-high aliens...

[Ophiolite]

Here's something that might work. Approach one of Arianespace's customers, one whose public image is important to them, and ask to piggyback your satellite onto their launch. An extra 20kgs is going to be nothing for them. They get all the publicity of 'promoting an interest in science and space' among 'the young people, who are our future'. You get a free launch, so all you are left with is the cost of the satellite.

 

This is workable if you have a convincing satellite design and its objectives are novel in some way.

[RICHARDBATTY]

Could you send up a smaller booster on a balloon and launch from that.

[Halash]

i like your idea.... i would make the sat. to launch missiles....

 

you would prolly wanna launch it from a model rocket like the ones that are on 'rocket challange' on the discovery channel

 

but yuo would also need those thruster things that position it right and well. those would be expensive. totally maybe 10,000 dollars

[Halash]

I think the price tag to send anything up into space would be the main restriction. Even using technology that is available, I couldn't see it costing less than $1 Million. Not to mention the legality of such a thing. I remember some big news after the Patriot act was put into place about restrictions on model rocketry.

i would shoot a laser at the white house

[Halash]

I think that the last thing we need is more space junk, but I wouldnt mind being able to have a personal TV, radio, internet, or imaging satellite . How much do u think it would cost to get a personal imaging satellite into space? Something that I could control to watch me, or any other place on earth, up close with incredible focus and clarity :-D good to wish!

you could stalk your crush lol and you could talk on the phone for free if you could hook it up somehow..

[Halash]

Here's something that might work. Approach one of Arianespace's customers' date=' one whose public image is important to them, and ask to piggyback your satellite onto their launch. An extra 20kgs is going to be nothing for them. They get all the publicity of 'promoting an interest in science and space' among 'the young people, who are our future'. You get a free launch, so all you are left with is the cost of the satellite.

 

This is workable if you have a convincing satellite design and its objectives are novel in some way.[/quote']

it costs 10,000 dollars for every 1 pound to go into space...but if it had a purpose... maybe

[Halash]

Could you send up a smaller booster on a balloon and launch from that.

doubtful... you would need weather ballons... and atleast 10 of themm...and that would only get you up to like 10,000 feet or something right? you need to go like 100 miles into space

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Ah, who cares? The ISS can take micrometeorites travelling hundreds of times faster, it can take a simple homemade rocket that weighs, I don't know... 20 kg, at orbital velocity

Yeah, right.

 

At that speed the closing velocity would be over 34,000 miles per hour. Cripes.

[RICHARDBATTY]

doubtful... you would need weather ballons... and atleast 10 of themm...and that would only get you up to like 10,000 feet or something right? you need to go like 100 miles into space

I know of a flight with people that got to around the twenty mile mark. A smaller weight may be able to get higher and there are plans for a two man team to go to 25 miles in space suits on an open platform. Rather them than me. Any way, if you could get 25 miles out of the baloon then use a cannon to give an initial thrust, and take into account the lower drag would you not be able to use a small boost to get the rest of the way up.

[Ophiolite]

Yeah' date=' right.

 

At that speed the closing velocity would be over 34,000 miles per hour. Cripes.[/quote']I imagine Rasiri was thinking in terms of both objects (ISS and 20kg home made satellite) being in orbit, which they would be, and in similar orbits, which they might be, and so there closing velocities could be quite low. After all, that's how you dock.

[Ophiolite]

it costs 10,000 dollars for every 1 pound to go into space...but if it had a purpose... maybe

That's accounting. I'm talking PR.

[Halash]

I know of a flight with people that got to around the twenty mile mark. A smaller weight may be able to get higher and there are plans for a two man team to go to 25 miles in space suits on an open platform. Rather them than me. Any way, if you could get 25 miles out of the baloon then use a cannon to give an initial thrust, and take into account the lower drag would you not be able to use a small boost to get the rest of the way up.

 

0-20mi feet- baloon

20mi-100mi- rocket