[Moon-net] Lunar X Prize Frequency coordination

[STeve Andre']

On Tuesday 13 November 2007 14:37:28 Pat Barthelow wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I was recently approached by a player in the Google Lunar X prize
> competition  who made an assumption that Amateur Radio Frequencies might be
> available for Lunar-X prize Earh-Moon Communications  activities.
>
> My first reaction was, absolutely NOT!  But speaking to some in the EME and
> Amateur Satellite community, brought speculation that, a Non Profit Agency
> with licensed hams as control operators, could indeed be created to manage
> and run their X prize project legally on amateur radio frequencies. 
> Remember, there is a 20 million dollar prize to the winner.
>
> I STILL think NOT.  Another opinion was that there may be experimental
> categories of operation, (Part 5, CFR) that are not specifically amateur,
> but access amateur frequencies for use.  I still think NOT.   Any
> definitive information about this?   If not, does anyone know of specific
> L, S, C or X band frequency allocations that exist or have recently been
> made for earth to moon communications, in programs such as those proposed
> by NASA, for example?
>
> All the Best, 73,
> Pat Barthelow aa6eg at hotmail.com

Hmmm.

What is the purpose of this venture?  To develop the technology to cheaply
get to the Moon, and incidently have a lot of  fun.  This is not a commercial
venture,  it's pure exploration.

One of the reasons for the Amateur  service in the USA is to foster the state
of the art in radio, right? (I'm assuming that this is common in other places)

That being the case, it would seem to me that this would be a great thing for
us.  I'm not a legal expert but I can't see any reason to not do this, but a 
lot of reasons for it.

--STeve Andre'
wb8wsf  en82