Space Policy

Space policy roundup – Aug.19.13

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A selection of space policy related items

In this video essay from Spacevidcast, Cariann Higginbotham responds to the question, “What happens when unregulated companies start going into space?”

History, Rockets, Space Policy

The DC-X and Jerry Pournelle

The DC-X Anniversary and Workshop event in New Mexico finished yesterday. Find notes and reports on the event at

Today sci-fi writer and computer guru Jerry Pournelle writes about his role in bringing about the DC-X project: SSX, DC/X, Star Wars – Jerry Pournelle/Chaos Manor.

Solar Sci-Fi, Space Arts, Space films and videos

Science fiction short films at Anthology Film Archives in NYC, Aug. 28th

An announcement from the The Philip K. Dick Film Festival:

Science Fiction Comes To Anthology Film Archives As The
Special Program For Newfilmmakers Series

The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival’s Director Curated The Highly Anticipated One-Night Only Event

Brooklyn, N.Y. August 13, 2013 – A night science fiction will be presented at Anthology Film Archives as part of the center’s NewFilmmakers series. Daniel Abella, the famed director of The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival led the curation for the momentous special program to be held on Wednesday, August 28. The one-night only lineup features four thrilling film shorts from the minds of talented filmmakers who showcase the infinite world of science fiction.

Special Program Schedule of Events
Wednesday, August 28 at 6:00 PM

SILENT THREAT: PRELUDE
By Aldo Romero
(2013, 15 Minutes)
A former reporter who came across a Roswell-type wreckage of a space craft in 1986 joins the social media site “Silent Threat” dedicated to UFO abductees to spread his message of extraterrestrial existence after years of censorship.

THE EXIT ROOM
By Todd Wiseman Jr.
(2013, 10 Minutes)
In 2021, imprisoned journalist Joseph Michaels faces government execution as he contemplates a desperate escape attempt in order to return to his wife and newborn.

MICROTIME
By Nir Yaniv
(2013, 15 Minutes)
Bernie Eckstein, a young physics PhD student is about to test the time machine he built out of the microwave oven in his kitchen. He sets a camera to document the experiment but the machine begins to jump into the future and he must stop it before things go too far.

THE HOUSE
By Marcia Goetsch
(2013, 15 Minutes)
A woman and an artificially intelligent house are shackled by their symbiotic relationship in world of the future.

The science fiction special program will lead an entire night of films as part of Anthology Film Archive’s NewFilmmakers series on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at 32 Second Avenue New York, NY 10003 beginning at 6pm. For more information including further scheduling and film listings please visit http://anthologyfilmarchives.org and always be sure to stay informed of all ongoing announcements from The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival and Twitter page at https://twitter.com/PhilipKDickFest.

For more information please contact:
Daniel Abella, Curator/Festival Director
Program Office: 917-362-9337
Email: info@thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilipKDickFest
Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/The-Philip-K-Dick-science-fiction-Film-Festival/
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/philipkdickfilmfestival

Activism, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week

The guests and programs for The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, August 19, 2013: 2-3:30 PM PDT (5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5:30 PM CDT): No show today as I am helping a friend with medical issues.

2. Tuesday, August 20, 2013, 7-8:30 PM PDT (10-11:30 PM EDT, 9-10:30 PM CDT): No show today as I am helping a friend with medical issues.

3. Thursday, August 22, 2013,7-8:00 PM PDT (10-11:00 PM EDT, 9-10:00 PM CDT): TOM OLSON returns with new updates on the NewSpace Business Plan Competition.

4. Friday, August 23, 2013:, 9:30-11AM PDT (12:30-2 PM EDT, 11:30 AM-1 PM CDT). We welcome the new AIAA Executive Director, DR. SANDRA MAGNUS. AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and nearly 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.

5. Sunday, August 25, 2013, 12-1:30 PM PDT, (3-4:30 PM EDT, 2-3:30 PM CDT). OPEN LINES discussion. All space and STEM topics welcome. First time callers welcome. Please be succinct, to the point, and let’s make room for everyone who wants to call. Listeners, remember, we have only one toll free line. If the line is busy, please keep trying or email me that you are waiting for the line to become free.

See also:
/– The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
/– The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
/– The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

Satellite Watching, Space participation, Space Radio

The FUNcube Dongle SDR for satellite reception

I’ve posted about the FUNcube Dongle before but it’s worth a repeat. This small device plugs into a USB port and when combined with a program like  SDR# “A Software Defined Radio in C#” your computer becomes a fully functional radio tuner. With a proper antenna and preamplifier you can pick up satellite transmissions such as weather satellite images.

The FUNcube Dongle came out of a AMSAT UK project to allow students and hobbyists an easy system to use to receive signals from the FUNcube UK Amateur Radio Educational Satellite, which is expected to be launched this fall.

More at

See also the See HobbySpace Space Radio section and the HobbySpace Weather Satellite Station.

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