Category Archives: Simulators

Education, Simulators, Space participation

The Russell Space Team shuttle simulations for grade school astronauts

May 15, 2014 TopSpacer

The Russell Space Team at Russell Elementary School in Smyrna, GA is an award winning program in which 4th & 5th graders carry out elaborate Space Shuttle mission simulations. They use their shuttle Intrepid Simulator and a Mission Control. They have been carrying out the day long simulations since the 1990s.

Their Russell Space Team YouTube channel shows reports from their missions, including a 27 hour sim from this month.

Chris Laster is the force behind the Russell Space Team and he was on the Space Show this week to describe the program and how it came about: Chris Laster, Tuesday, 5-13-14 – Thespaceshow’s Blog

A couple of Russell Space Team videos:

http://youtu.be/EQVZ2ScCSSU

Education, Simulators, Space Models

LittleBits SpaceKit: Assemble your own space program

April 24, 2014 TopSpacer

The company littleBits has developed an open source collection of electronic modules that snap together with magnets to make all sorts of fun gadgets. They have collaborated with NASA to create a SpaceKit package: Build Your Own Mini Mars Rover With These Brilliant, NASA-Approved Blocks – Design.WIRED

The package includes “12 modules, 5 NASA lesson plans and 10 STEAM activities”. With it you can assemble a Mars Rover:

A space helmet:

A space station:

The Space Booklet (pdf) describes the SpaceKit and several projects based on it.

This video shows a sampling of space projects:

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Asteroids & Comets, In Space Infrastructure, Simulators

Asteroid Redirect Missions with the Kerbal Space Program

April 4, 2014 TopSpacer

NASA’s Asteroid Initiative to redirected a small asteroid into the Earth-Moon system has not quite gotten off the ground yet, at least in terms of broad political support. However, with the Kerbal Space Program you can now go retrieve an asteroid on your own: ‘Kerbal Space Program’ Launches NASA ‘Asteroid Redirect Mission’ Update – IBT

DIY space, Mars, Simulators

Mars One launches simulated outpost project

March 27, 2014 TopSpacer

An announcement from Mars One:

Mars One Begins Work on Simulation Mars Home for Crew

Amersfoort, The Netherlands, 27 March 2014 – Mars One is excited to announce the launch of a simulation project to replicate the future Mars human outpost here on Earth.

Mars One will soon begin the process of construction of the first simulation outpost, which will be used for training selected astronauts and teams. The main purpose of an early version outpost is for potential crew members to gain early experience in the actual environment which will become their home on Mars.

Bas Lansdorp, co-founder: “We are very eager to get started constructing actual hardware for our mission that is important for training future Mars One crews and preparing them for their life on Mars. We are going from theory to practice.”

Mars One has plans to eventually create multiple simulation outposts in different locations for easier training logistics and diverse realism exposure. The early version outpost will not contain an actual life support system immediately, but will be fitted with such systems later.

Newly added team member Kristian von Bengtson will be leading the outpost project from Denmark. He will also be leading the search for potential construction companies and major sponsors who would like [to] be a part of this outpost project.

Kristian von Bengtson: “Finally getting started on the outpost project is incredibly exciting and I am looking forward to replacing images with real life hardware. I think a lot of people are looking forward to opening the hatches of the outpost modules and taking the next step in the mission. I know I am.”

The final location of the first simulation outpost has not yet been decided.

About Mars One
Mars One is a not-for-profit foundation that will establish permanent human life on Mars. Human settlement on Mars is possible today with existing technologies. Mars One’s mission plan integrates components that are well tested and readily available from industry leaders worldwide. The first footprint on Mars and lives of the crew thereon will captivate and inspire generations. It is this public interest that will help finance this human mission to Mars.