All of us are now familiar with the intended characteristics of thePhase-3 orbit. Those who live in the northern hemisphere arecurrently being treated to the protracted periods of time thespacecraft seems to hang in the sky at high elevation angles andthe amazing amount of the world that is in view during thesetimes. Finally, to the relief of the designers of the system, users arerequired to point their antennas to the north. This is clearly adream come true. As we are now painfully aware, however,AMSAT-OSCAR 13 will come to an end in 1996 almost ascertainly and as suddenly as it was launched in June of 1988.This paper discusses the efforts of the Phase-3D study team toidentify improvements in orbits for international, high earthorbiting amateur spacecraft and methods ofassuring that they donot meet the fate now sealed for our current operational satellite.
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