Skycube amateur satellite out of view so sat finders needed

March 6, 2014 TopSpacer

The SkyCube amateur satellite project needs some crowd-observing to help locat their bird, which was recently released from the International Space Station: Satellite Lost and Found in Space – SkyandTelescope.com (via Behind The Black).

SkyCube, a crowd-funded nanosatellite built to engage the public in space exploration, has been deployed from the International Space Station. Now its creators are anxiously waiting to establish two-way contact.

Here is a video the deployment of SkyCube and 4 other nanosats:

Space Policy

Space policy roundup – March.5.14

March 5, 2014 TopSpacer

A selection of space policy/politics related links:

Update: Reports on today’s Senate hearing on defense dept. launch services:

Webcast and witness testimonies at at Hearings & Testimony.

Science and Technology, Space Systems, SpaceCasts

Video: Seminar on “soft machine” approach to robotics

March 5, 2014 TopSpacer

The latest SETI Institute seminar is titled “Refactoring Space Exploration with Soft Machines”:

Vytas SunSprial, NASA Ames/Stinger Ghaffrian

To understand how we control motion, we need to understand the physical mechanism being moved. Emerging theories of vertebrate physiology are overturning the traditional bone-centric model of the body in favor of a “tensegrity” model, in which the primary load paths are in the continuous tension network of the soft tissues. In this talk, I will discuss research and development at NASA Ames into dynamic tensegrity robots and how these “soft machines” may be controlled through biologically inspired methods. Along the way, I will talk about how the unique properties of tensegrity robots may enable new methods of planetary landing and exploration.

Space Policy

NASA’s 2015 budget day [Updated]

March 4, 2014 TopSpacer

The administration will release its 2015 NASA budget proposal today:

Update: The budget has now been released. Total NASA budget is $17.5B. No big new initiatives. SLS/Orion, Commercial Crew, James Webb telescope, asteroid retrieval, etc are continued from last year.