Amateur/Student Satellite, Space Radio

AMSAT & ISS amateur radio news

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Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.

ANS 111 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – April 20, 2013:
* April 19 Soyuz-2-1B Launch Plans Cubesat Deployment on April 21
* April 21 Antares Launch to Orbit Three PhoneSat Cubesats
* April 25 China CZ-2D to Launch TURKSAT-3USAT Linear Transponder
* May 3 Vega Launch from Kourou to Orbit ESTCube-1 CubeSat
* AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Solicited
* ARISS School Contacts
* Order AMSAT/TAPR Dayton Banquet Tickets in the AMSAT Store
* Registration for the SA AMSAT Space Symposium is Now Open
* Inspiration and Success: The Story Behind N1LF’s 1st Satellite QSO
* RockOn 2013 University Rocket Science Workshop
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

Contests and Games, Education, Space participation

Int. Space Apps Challenge + Robonaut 2 Challenge + A need for big challenges too

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The International Space Apps Challenge is underway this weekend.

The International Space Apps Challenge is an international mass collaboration focused on space exploration that takes place over 48-hours in cities around the world. The event embraces collaborative problem solving with a goal of producing relevant open-source solutions to address global needs applicable to both life on Earth and life in space. NASA is leading this global collaboration along with a number of additional government collaborators and 100+ local partner organizations.

See the 50 challenges here.  And the locations around the world where the teams are competing.

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NASA Robonaut Challenge is also happening this month. It challenges programmers to code a couple of particularly useful tasks for the humanoid-like Robonaut 2 on the ISS.

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Ed Wright endorses the modest sized challenge competitions like those above but says NASA should also continue to support important major challenges with big prizes as they did with the Lunar Lander Challenge competition: Robonaut Programming Challenge – CitizensInSpace.org

 

 

Living in Space, Space books, Space Settlement

Free Kindle ebook of Gerard K. O’Neill’s classic “The High Frontier”

Here’s an announcement from the Space Studies Institute:

The High Frontier is a FREE Kindle ebook!

At Space Access 2013 SSI President Gary Hudson announced the release of Gerard K. O’Neill‘s classic The High Frontier as an exclusive Amazon Kindle ebook.

CoverHighFrontier_182x300

Today we have another announcement:  From Saturday April 20th to Tuesday April 23rd, the Kindle edition of The High Frontier is absolutely free.  Just open the Kindle app on your iOS, Android, Windows PC or Mac and type High Frontier in the Kindle store, or get your free Kindle edition directly from the Amazon.com website at http://www.amazon.com/The-High-Frontier-ebook/dp/B00CB3SIAI/ .

The High Frontierr was a milestone in the work to make the dream of Space Settlement real for everyone.  So many lives were changed by this book.  Now a new digital generation can learn the needs, the goals and the potentials that Professor O’Neill made so clearly understandable.

With The High Frontier Kindle edition you get the full original artwork by Don Davis, the cover art of the 1988 second edition by Pat Rawlings (in full color on supported devices), full text searching and the bonus chapter “The View from 1988” that Dr. O’Neill added to the SSI second edition.*

Already own a copy of The High Frontier?  Go ahead and get your Kindle version for free today and save your print version for special times.

Have friends who have never read The High Frontier?  Pass this email along… and tell them to pass it along too!

Yes, proceeds from sales of The High Frontier Kindle edition at its regular price of $6.99 do add up to help the important research and projects of The Space Studies Institute and the free promotion does not, but we think that getting The High Frontier out there in the hands of a new generation is worth it.  Don’t you?

Of course if you do think that supporting the work of SSI and promotions like this one are a good thing for the cause, we would welcome your your membership or donation. There is a simple PayPal link at SSI.ORG that you can use to show your support at any time.

Remember, this is a limited time free offer.  Saturday April 20th to Tuesday April 23rd only.**  After that, the retail price is back in effect.  So get your FREE copy of the High Frontier Kindle edition today!

Sincerely,
Robert Smith

Evangelist
Space Studies Institute

Education, General

This week @NASA – Antares rocket, Kepler’s exoplanets, etc

This episode of This Week @NASA reports on:

The Antares rocket remains at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0-A at Wallops Flight Facility — awaiting launch on its first test flight under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS program. Orbital Sciences Corporation canceled the countdown during Wednesday’s initial launch attempt when a data umbilical connection prematurely separated from the rocket. On this demonstration flight, Antares will carry a simulated Cygnus spacecraft to orbit. The real Cygnus will deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Also, Orion’s Progress , Gathering for Impact!, Three More Planets for Kepler , Station Spacewalk, Moonbuggy Preps, Hubble’s Infrared Horsehead and more!

Everyone can participate in space