Category Archives: Education

Update on the Arkyd space telescope Kickstarter campaign

The Planetary Resources fund-raising for the ARKYD public access space telescope has reached 10,350 Backers and $916,582 pledged towards the $1,000,000 goal with 12 days to go. That’s a tremendous accomplishment for a space Kickstarter campaign but it actually seems a bit disappointing considering how fast the pledges were coming in during the first couple weeks. It looks like they will have to work hard just to make sure they reach the $1.0M goal, much less meet their $2M stretch goal to fund exoplanet searches.

Kickstarter campaigns often have a surge in the final few days as efforts intensify to meet the deadline. So it’s still likely they will beat the $1M goal and it will be interesting to see how far past it they get.

Follow their money raising rate at ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone by Planetary Resources :: Kicktraq.

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The next-gen Teachers in Space

Ed Wright of Citizens in Space gives the background to various programs aimed at sending teachers and other educators into space and lays out his organization’s plans for the future: Teachers in Space: The Next Generation – CitizensInSpace.org.

Citizens in Space continues to expand and grow. We have not abandoned the original goals of Teachers in Space, nor have we “split” the program or transferred any part of the program to another organization. We still hope to enable a large number of teachers to fly in space and return to the classroom, along with people from every walk of life.

There are other organizations that have the goal of flying teachers in space. The Challenger Center for Space Science Education has acquired two seats on a Virgin Galactic flight for teachers. Virgin Galactic has also donated a seat to the Royal Air Force for a British teacher. So far, however, we are the only organization that has purchased a significant block of flights and initiated a training program for citizen astronauts. We hope we will not be alone much longer. Regardless of what other organizations do, however, our path is clear. As President Reagan said, our hopes and journeys will continue.

LEGO to produce fan-designed Curiosity Rover model

The  Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover LEGO model designed by Stephen Pakbaz is to be become an official LEGO product: LEGO to roll out Mars rover Curiosity as toy model in fan-created line – collectSPACE

See also his page at Rebrickable.com and the earlier posting about Pakbaz here: New LEGO space models by Stephen Pakbaz – Space-for-All.

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NASA “passport” gives discounts at NASA centers and Shuttle museums

The Passport to Explore Space card gives you benefits at multiple space museums and exhibitions across the country:

Passport to Explore Space holders receive special savings on admission, tours, food and retail at each location. Visit all 14 Visitor Center and space shuttle locations to complete your passport.

More at NASA visitor centers launch new passport for space tourists – collectSPACE.

Earth-bound space tourists hitting the road this summer to tour NASA’s historic launch pads and mission controls, as well as see the retired space shuttles on display, now have their own passport.

The “Passport to Explore Space” is now being offered by the official visitor centers for NASA’s nationwide facilities and the museums that display the space agency’s former orbiter fleet. Guests to the 14 locations in nine states can get the passports stamped with commemorative markers representing each of the centers, earning them offers and discounts in the process.