Category Archives: Space participation

Education, Space participation, Space Systems

SunSat Design Competition opens Indiegogo fundraising campaign.

The International SunSat Design Competition, based at Ohio University, has opened a crowd-sourcing campaign to fund the contest: International SunSat Design Competition – Indiegogo. Here is an announcement about the effort:

SunSat Design Competition & Indiegogo Fundraising

Our SunSat Design Competition was officially launched last week at the International Space Development Conference in San Diego. This Competition – to generate multiple new designs for the next-generation satellites and earth/space architectures for delivering sun’s energy from space to earth – is a targeted project of the National Space Society and the Society of Satellite Professionals International. Ohio University has agreed to manage the two-year Competition, but money must be raised to make it happen.

Our Indiegogo micro-funding campaign has been extended for an additional 45 days in an effort to raise the full $110,000. Please help us by going to our new International SunSat Design Competition site on Indiegogo and make a contribution at one of the several funding levels. You are also encouraged to share this opportunity with others with mutual interests.

If you doubt your contribution will make a difference, take a look at the Lewis Fraas ISDC presentation on Reflective Sunlight that is in the process of being published by the Space Journal. Earlier this week, Dr. Fraas’ paper and the Ohio University student visualization of the concept he introduced in San Diego was shared with the India Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the India Institute of Space Sciences and Technology (IISST), via Dr. APJ Abdulkalam.

Global interest in space is growing. By using the creative talents of our universities, working cooperatively with our space professionals, we can help to accelerate public interest in these developments. Energy from space is one of those historically significant first steps. Your financial assistance of this important international initiative – added to the contributions of others – will make a difference. Please join us.

Astronomy, Space participation

More about the Arkyd space telescope

The  ARKYD Space Telescope kickstarter campaign has reached nearly 9000 backers and over $810,000 pledged towards their $1,000,000 goal.

Planetary Resources has been posting updates and new videos: ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone by Planetary Resources – Updates — Kickstarter

In this video

Chris Lewicki leads a conversation with a few of the technical staff at Planetary Resources talking about the Kickstarter campaign for a publicly accessible space telescope.

Space Models, Space participation

NASA/LEGO announce space and aircraft model contest

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NASA and LEGO announce a new space modeling contest:

NASA Partners With the LEGO Group for Design and Build Contest

WASHINGTON — NASA and the LEGO Group are partnering to inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers by offering a new design competition. The competition will spur students of all ages to use the toy bricks in building models of future airplanes and spacecraft.

The “NASA’s Missions: Imagine and Build” competition opens Wednesday with an entry deadline of July 31. Winners in each category will be selected by a panel of NASA and LEGO officials and announced Sept. 1.

The first category in the contest is “Inventing our Future of Flight.” In this challenge, participants will design and build their idea for an aircraft of the future based on real concepts and new technology NASA’s aeronautics innovators are working on to increase fuel efficiency and reduce harmful emissions and noise.

In addition to building a model from LEGO bricks or using the LEGO Digital Designer computer program, participants in this category also must prepare and write a technical paper. The paper will explain how the contest design takes advantage of NASA’s ideas and potentially improves on them.

This category divides entrants into two groups: young student builders ages 13 to 18 and an open group for anyone age 13 and older. The two winners will receive a custom-made LEGO trophy and a collection of NASA memorabilia.

The second contest category is “Imagine our Future Beyond Earth.” In this challenge, participants will use their imaginations to design and build a futuristic vehicle from LEGO bricks that might travel through the air or in space. It could be an airplane, rotorcraft, rocket, spacecraft, satellite, rover or something else. The design can be based in reality or purely a flight of fancy. This competition is open to entrants 16 or older. The grand prize is a LEGO set signed by the set’s designer and a collection of NASA memorabilia. There also is a runner up prize.

To read the complete rules and guidelines for submitting the LEGO model and technical paper, visit: http://rebrick.lego.com/

LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children. For more information and to visit the virtual LEGO world, go to:

http://www.LEGO.com

For more information about NASA aeronautics research and space exploration, visit: http://www.nasa.gov

Satellite Watching, Space participation

Imaging the Bion-M1 spacecraft while it was in space

Astrophotographer  writes about imaging the Russian Bion-M1 satellite during its recent flight:  Ground-based Images of Bion-M1 Spacecraft – Space Safety Magazine – June.5.13.

He captured an image of the spacecraft with “surprising resolution [at]  a range of 581 kilometers and an altitude of 575 kilometers”.

Astronomy, Space participation, SpaceCasts

SciShow: Kickstarting a Space Telescope?!

As of mid-day June 2nd, the Planetary Resources crowdfunding campaign for a publicly accessible space telescope (see earlier post here) has reached over $650k and nearly 6700 backers in just 4 days in pursuit of its $1M goal: ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone by Planetary Resources — Kickstarter.

Hank Green, who participated in the webcasts last week that introduced the campaign, has this video about the project: