The Planetary Society offers a variety of videos including a couple of videos from an introductory astronomy course taught by Bruce Betts at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 1: Tour of the Solar System | The Planetary Society
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 2: How We Explore Space | The Planetary Society
We have posted the February episode of the Virtual SpaceTV 3D series. These are created by BINARY SPACE with story content from HobbySpace.com.
In this new show, Amanda Bush and James C. Birk talk about asteroids, asteroids and asteroids…
00:00 – 02:26 Asteroid 2012 DA14
02:27 – 03:25 Meteor Shower in Chelyabinsk
03:26 – 05:10 Deep Space Industries
05:11 – 07:05 Bigelow Aerospace
07:06 – 07:57 Curiosity Update
Other Virtual SpaceTV 3D shows are available on the HobbySpace Youtube Channel.
These videos are intended as educational programs and as demonstrations of an experimental technique for generating animated presentations. The show was generated autonomously by software according to a text script. The project is described in the Virtual Producer whitepaper (pdf). For further information contact info@binary-space.com.
The astrobites (astro-ph reader’s digest) project seeks to present the latest reports on leading edge astrophysics research in a way that is understandable at an undergraduate level.
Astrobites is a daily literature journal summarizing new astrophysical research posted to astroph. Astrobites is written by graduate students for undergraduates. Read more about our goals.
For example, much of this description of a paper on exoplanets around M dwarf stars should be comprehensible by even non-science undergrads: The Frequency of (Habitable?) Planets Around M dwarfs – astrobites.
An announcement from Nanosatisfi:
ArduSat Academy Launches 4 Week Space Experience
NanoSatisfi, LLC is pleased to announce that registration is now open for ArduSat Academy Summer Program 2013. Ardusat Academy is an opportunity for students, hackers, makers, DIY space enthusiasts, and anyone interested in space, science, or programming to learn how to devise and prepare their own satellite-based experiment. Building on the ArduSat initiative to make space accessible to all, ArduSat Academy gives participants the tools they need to best make use of that opportunity.
“In just four weeks, anyone can design and program their own space-based experiment or experience,” says ArduSat Academy Program Director Merryl Azriel. “This isn’t just a project to keep you busy through yet another summer: this is the real deal, with a real satellite.”
Participants will discover the nuts and bolts of satellite operations, explore the capabilities of ArduSat’s sensor suite, learn to program and assemble Arduinos, and design and test a program to execute their experiments in orbit. This summer, participants will also be able to witness the July launch of ArduSat-1 and meet with the engineers that made it all happen.
The four week program will run June 24 through July 19, with morning, afternoon, and weekend sessions available. $2000 will get you in the program, which will be held in the San Francisco metropolitan area. No prior experience is necessary. All ages 13 years and above are welcome.
For more details about ArduSat Academy Summer Program 2013 and to register, visit us at ardusatacademy.org.
About NanoSatisfi, LLC
San Francisco-based NanoSatisfi formed in the summer of 2012, with a mission of providing convenient, affordable, on-demand access to satellites. NanoSatisfi’s founders together combine experience at 9 universities, in 8 companies, in 7 languages, and on 3 continents. NanoSatisfi prides itself on being free from the old mindset of “space costs millions and take years,” and is devoted to making space accessible and affordable for everyone. The company’s first two satellites were crowdfunded via a Kickstarter campaign. The results of that campaign – a space-based application platform comprised of an AVR/Arduino based computer in a CubeSat standard with a freely programmable micro-processor and 25 sensors – will launch with NanoRacks in the summer of 2013. Learn more at www.nanosatisfi.com.
An announcement from Citizens in Space:
New Citizen Astronaut Candidates Announced
Two from Texas will fly as payload operators on XCOR Lynx spaceplane
(Space Center Houston, Feb. 8, 2010) – Citizens in Space, a project of the United States Rocket Academy, announced two astronaut candidates at the Space Exploration Educators Conference, which took place here today.
Citizen-astronaut candidate Maureen Adams, who has been in training for three years, announced the new additions.
“As a citizen of Texas, I take special pride in making this announcement,” Adams said. “Today we are expanding our astronaut corps to four, as Michael Johnson and Edward Wright, both from Texas, join our training program.”
Michael Johnson is a founding member and executive director of the North American Aerotech Academy, a non-profit organization that provides aviation-based STEM education to schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including four-year aviation academies at Irving High School and DeSoto High School. Johnson is a single- and multi-engine commercial pilot, instrument ground instructor, and type-rated captain on the Cessna Citation jet aircraft.
Johnson also provides STEM-based afterschool programs and summer camps, most recently teaching the Hot Roc STEM camp at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, Texas that included a on-site mission-control room and the construction and launch of over 300 rockets. He is currently pursuing an Executive MBA degree at the University of Texas at Dallas and serves in the Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol as a Aerospace Officer with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
Edward Wright is the chairman of the United States Rocket Academy and project manager for Citizens in Space. He brings almost 30 years of experience in the computer, aviation, and space industries. In the past, he developed the first Space Enterprise Symposium and founded X-Rocket, LLC.
“This is an important step in the development of our program,” said Lt. Col. Steve Heck (USAF-ret.), training director for Citizens in Space and another citizen-astronaut candidate. “Citizens in Space has purchased 10 flights on the XCOR Lynx spaceplane, which is expected to enter operational service in 2014. We will be flying over 100 citizen-science experiments and training 10 citizen astronauts to fly as payload operators.
“The individuals named today provide the right mix of skills to help us develop our training program, which will ensure that our current and future astronauts are able to fly safely and perform effectively as payload operators.
As a veteran military aviator and future astronaut, I am well aware of the risks involved in this sort of undertaking and the tragedies that can occur when things go wrong. The United States Rocket Academy is dedicated to providing the highest standard of training to minimize those risks.”
“Spaceflight is an inherently risky activity,” Wright said. “Safety is an ethical matter. I have seen too many friends die in aircraft accidents. I did not feel that I could ask people to participate in this program and accept the risks unless I was willing to do so myself.”
“Citizen astronauts will fly as payload operators, not just space tourists,” Johnson said. “This means that a higher standard of training is necessary.”
Adams, Heck, Johnson, and Wright are pathfinders for a larger training program. The “first four” will participate in training activities at several locations this summer. Training will expand next year as Citizens in Space seeks to fill out all ten astronaut slots.