Category Archives: DIY space

Activism, DIY space, Space participation

NASA and SpaceGAMBIT open 10 new public participation projects

An announcement from NASA:

NASA Announces New Opportunities for Public Participation
in Asteroid Grand Challenge

Ten new projects are providing opportunities for the public to participate in NASA’s Asteroid Grand Challenge, which accelerates the agency’s asteroid initiative work through innovative partnerships and collaborations.

Through a Space Act Agreement since April, NASA’s Asteroid Grand Challenge partner SpaceGAMBIT developed ways to connect the Maker community with NASA’s asteroid work, including educational programs and tools to help astronomers and citizen scientists. Makers are creative people with a drive to answer questions and find new ways to do things.

The 10 new projects developed by SpaceGAMBIT were done in partnership with Maui Makers – a group that provides the space and tools to make new things on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

“SpaceGAMBIT and their partners have created an incredibly wide variety of projects that speak to the strong interest in asteroids and passion of the public to participate in space-related activities,” said Jason Kessler, program executive for the Asteroid Grand Challenge. “These projects will inspire NASA audiences and the broader community to learn and get involved.”

The 10 projects are:

  • Asteroid Hackathon: Engage astronomers, space geeks, coders, and interested citizens to help make Earth safer by re-imagining asteroid data. Read more about the Hackathon here: http://www.nasa.gov/content/asteroid-hackathon/
  • Asteroid Response Center: An interactive multimedia installation focusing on asteroid science and planetary protection. The presentation has been exhibited at Burning Man 2014 and World Maker Faire New York.
  • Ultrascope: An automated robotic observatory that can be laser-cut and 3D printed at home.
  • Black Rock Observatory: A tourist office/welcome center for the rest of the universe.
  • The Wayward Rock: An interactive, space-based adventure where it’s up to you to save the world! Participants will learn about asteroids through extraterrestrial imaging data, discuss their solutions with like-minded students, and build a physical prototype of their own brilliant ideas if they have access to a local makerspace or fab lab.
  • Cosmosium: Browser game built to inspire and educate the general population using asteroid data from NASA.
  • Light Sight: An open-source system for the fabrication of extremely low cost parabolic mirrors for the use in amateur telescopes.
  • Central Spark: Software that simplifies, automates, and speeds up submission of astronomical sightings and discoveries to central object databases, social media feeds, and “Internet of Things” cloud services.
  • DIY Space Exploration: Create engaging content that will inspire the general public to support and participate in space exploration.
  • Curiosity Hacked Space Badges: Earn badges by exploring space-related and space technology concepts and skills.

“The dinosaurs never had their own space program, nor a maker movement — and look where it got them,” said Alex Cureton-Griffiths of SpaceGAMBIT. “Defending the Earth is a big job, and makers are stepping up to the plate to help humanity take that one giant leap and survive as species.”

NASA is counting on Maker communities to be a part of the solution to asteroid threats. In addition to the 10 new projects with SpaceGAMBIT, NASA is offering a variety of other opportunities for Makers around the country to connect directly with NASA. This includes events like the World Maker Faire and opportunities to solve tough problems through NASA Solve — a program of challenges, prize competitions, and crowdsourcing activities.

Through NASA’s asteroid initiative, the agency seeks to enhance its ongoing work in the identification and characterization of near-Earth objects for further scientific investigation. This work includes locating potentially hazardous asteroids and identifying those viable for redirection to a stable lunar orbit for future exploration by astronauts. The Asteroid Grand Challenge, one part of the asteroid initiative, expands the agency’s efforts beyond traditional boundaries and encourages partnerships and collaboration with a variety of organizations.

For more detail about the 10 projects associated with the Asteroid Grand Challenge, visit: www.spacegambit.org/

For more information on the Asteroid Grand Challenge, visit: www.nasa.gov/asteroidinitiative

DIY space, Space participation, Space Systems

Space crowdfunding: Eclipse capsule simulator

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Craig Russell at Space Operations Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama points me to a Kickstarter campaign they have initiated to fund a simulator for their Eclipse spacecraft, a two person module modeled after the Gemini capsules : ECLIPSE 2-seat orbital spacecraft; first step: simulator by Space Operations Inc.- Kickstarter

The crew procedures simulator will be a used to train people for orbital missions in the ECLIPSE spacecraft. SpaceOps will upgrade the existing cockpit layout and procedures from NASA’s successful Gemini spacecraft of the 1960’s. All avionics will be replaced with current qualified technology. Some new equipment will be added to the ECLIPSE that did not exist before, such as GPS.

This simulator will be a simple table mounted modular design to allow for easy relocation of panels and components to determine the best interior layout for a modern 2-seat orbital spacecraft. As we progress from the initial testing through final design of the actual ECLIPSE spacecraft, we will be upgrading this simulator along the way until it is certified to train crewmembers.

DIY space, Near Space

JP Aerospace sends 6 balloons and 1700 student PongSats to edge of space

JP Aerospace carried out more Near Space flights last weekend: Mission Success, Six Flights to the Edge of Space –

Sunday Oct 26th we flew six high altitude balloon to the top of the stratosphere. We carried over 1700 PongSat student experiments, two MiniCubes, twelve HD cameras and a host of in house experiments. We also flew the reward signs for our Kickstarter effort that raised the funds for the flights. The last flight of the day was our 171st mission.

Some of the photos from the flights:

A103-108_launch2-1[1]

 

Away104-105[1]

 

Away105_PongSats1[1]

 

DIY space, Rocketry, Space participation

Update on the Register’s LOHAN high-altitude model rocket plane adventure

I’ve posted a couple of times (see here and here) about the Register newspaper’s LOHAN (Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator) somewhat tongue-in-cheek project, which aims to launch a small rocket powered plane (named Vulture 2) from a high altitude balloon. The launch will start from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Here is an update on the project:  This rocket-powered toy plane will soon jet off to stratosphere – CNN.com –

It took the team four years, thousands of volunteer hours, and $60,000 from crowdfunding, to complete the “Lohan.” The nickname is short for “Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator” and, its inventors say, a reference to the Hollywood star Lindsey Lohan.