Earth could be in for a shock, so to speak, if it is hit with a really major geomagnetic storm: The Biggest Threat to the Global Economy Could Come From Outer Space: If the sun sneezes, the economy will shatter – Niraj Chokshi/The Atlantic.
Keep an eye on the sun with a daily peek at the HobbySpace Sun and Space Weather page. Holds lots of real time images of the sun and data displays from solar monitoring satellites.
Copenhagen Suborbitals is gearing up for the first flight of their Sapphire guided rocket during launch windows on the weekends of June 22-23 and June 29-30:
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.orgTrailer 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)
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.
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:
