History, Space films and videos

“The Cosmonaut” – feature film available on line

The Cosmonaut is an independent film that was made for $400k obtained via crowdfunding. You can watch it online for free. The film is

a fusion of science fantasy and history inspired by the legends of the lost Soviet cosmonauts. The film is set between from 1967 and 1976, and follows the life of Stas, Andrei, and Yulia in the recently built Star City. The main characters are witnesses to the successes and failures of the Soviet space program, and are frustrated by political intrigues and power struggles prevalent at the time.

Here is an interview with the director Nicolás Alcalá: The Cosmonaut: Crowdfunded Movie Explores Legends of Lost Cosmonauts through a Fantastical Lens – Space Safety Magazine

Here is the trailer:

Caption:

Trailer for “The Cosmonaut” a feature film by the Riot Cinema Collective and 5000 more people more.

The Cosmonaut is the story of three characters surrounded by events that happened over a fifteen-year period: successes and failures, accidents, conspiracies, nepotism and secret missions. Is not only a feature film, but also a Transmedia project (30 webisodes, an alternate ending, a secret shortfilm, various books and much more).
thecosmonaut.org

Trailer edited by: Arturo M. Antolín, Daniel García, Víctor G. Rivero
Motion Graphics: Daniel García
Sound: Pecera Estudio
Color Correction: Luis Enrique Carrión
Music By: The Secession Studios; Greg Dombrowski (Trailer Cues Vol. 1)

 

Activism, DIY space, Space participation

Darwin One – crowdsourcing space exploration + Update on Arkyd Kickstarter

Here’s a proposal to crowd source a space science mission has been posted on the Will This Fly?, site where people can comment and vote on the viability of projects: Darwin One: A Crowdsourced Space Mission ~ Will This Fly?

Darwin One is a proposed project to develop a space mission without government funding or assistance. Its goal is to generate interest in the idea, develop a mission in public, raise funding and then successfully launch.

It is loosely based on the failed Beagle 2 mission that developed a low-cost probe destined for Mars. While a failure the model was a good one and, with better oversight, a worthy starting point.

It is international in nature; anyone can become involved.

What problem does it solve?

Space exploration is currently in the hands of governments, and as a result is often slow, bureaucratic and subject to the whim of politicians.

In the 21st century there are more direct ways to fund space missions, although it is difficult for enthusiasts to find somewhere to focus their attention, especially for an international project.

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Meanwhile, the growth of the Planetary Resources crowd-sourced ARKYD A Space Telescope campaign totals have slowed but they are making a big effort to speed them up again: Planetary Resources offers a stretch goal to reinvigorate its crowdfunding campaign – NewSpace Journal.

Space Systems

Magnetoshell provides a lightweight brake for spacecraft

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NextBigFuture points to a neat concept for slowing a spacecraft when it enters an atmosphere. A study of the Magnetoshell concept was funded by the  NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC). As shown in the slide below, the spacecraft would release a tethered device that creates a magnetized plasma, which in turn interacts with the atoms in the atmosphere in a manner that creates drag. The size and mass of such a system is much less than for a reentry shield and big parachutes. So it would allow for greater payload mass for missions to Mars or other bodies in the solar system with atmospheres.

Find more details in these resources:

Magnetoshell

Education, General, SpaceCasts

Virtual SpaceTV 3D – June 2013

Our series of Virtual SpaceTV 3D shows with Amanda Bush resumes after an extended hiatus due to technical difficulties. The programs are created by BINARY SPACE (www.binary-space.com) with story content from HobbySpace.com.

In the June show, Amanda talks about:
00:27 – 03:10 The SpaceShipTwo Test Flight
03:11 – 05:17 Curiosity Rover Update
05:18 – 07:12 SpaceX Grasshopper
07:13 – 09:01 Planetary Resources Kickstarter

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.

Living in Space, Space Systems

Lunar radiation study points to better shielding techniques

I mentioned in this item about measurements of radiation exposure for trips to Mars, the best shielding for your spaceship is with materials that contain lots of hydrogen. A new study of rad measurements on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) bears this out: Moon Radiation Findings May Reduce Health Risks to Astronauts – Univ. of New Hampshire

Says Zeitlin, “This is the first study using observations from space to confirm what has been thought for some time – that plastics and other lightweight materials are pound-for-pound more effective for shielding against cosmic radiation than aluminum. Shielding can’t entirely solve the radiation exposure problem in deep space, but there are clear differences in effectiveness of different materials.”

The plastic-aluminum comparison was made in earlier ground-based tests using beams of heavy particles to simulate cosmic rays. “The shielding effectiveness of the plastic in space is very much in line with what we discovered from the beam experiments, so we’ve gained a lot of confidence in the conclusions we drew from that work,” says Zeitlin. “Anything with high hydrogen content, including water, would work well.”

Everyone can participate in space