Build Your Own Linux-Based Satellite

An anonymous reader writes "For $10 million, SpaceDev is offering a Linux-based microsatellite that can be controlled over the internet using any laptop or desktop computer. The Modular Microsat Bus utilizes such things as plug and play USB, Ethernet, and other standards, while providing critical features such as power, maneuvering, and communication for you. Up to 40 kg of project space are at your disposal"

Comments

I'll take two

[robertjw]

At that price I'll take two, they're small.

FP

[khedron the jester]

Apparently you launch it by throwing it really, really hard.

"Laser beam"

[thewiz]

WooHoo! Now I can get my own death ray satellite!
World conquest, here I come!

Re:"Laser beam"

[lpangelrob]

No kidding... the coverage is great, but the ping time is a drag. I went for St. Louis once but toasted some outhouse across the river because of the lag. Biggest waste of my $10M ever. I'd give the seller an F-.

3 Words

[19thNervousBreakdown]

Orbiting brain lasers.

Re:3 Words

[drinkypoo]

No, four words and a slogan. Orbital Mind Control Lasers: We know what's on your mind, we put it there!

Re:3 Words

[dgatwood]

Nah. With mind control, you can get a big chunk of money from a few people with generally evil motives. With targetted advertising, you can get a big chunk of money from a LOT of people with generally evil motives.

All you need are three lasers---one red, one green, one blue---and a moderately precise tracking system. Pick a sufficiently refractive layer transition in the atmosphere (or a cloud or whatever) and use it as what would amount to a giant projection screen. Now, you can advertise Coca-Cola in fifty-mile-tall letters that are clearly visible simultaneously from anywhere in the continental United States!

Only 10 Million?

[Anti_Climax]

And just in time for X-Mas too!

Micro-orbit satellite

[k4_pacific]

Unfortunately, because of its diminutive size, this satellite can only be put into orbit around a large city at best. For true Earth orbit, you need to spend real money.

P2P

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't wait for the first P2P provider to send their network into space.

eDonkey 2001: A Space Odyssey

You're all thinking it...

[Anonymous Coward]

Slap a web server on it and you've got "POOOORRN FROOOOOM SPAAAAAAAAAAACE!"

utilizes such things as plug and play USB

[spamfiltre]

With a long enough cable, I could recharge my iPod Shuffle from orbit.

Great!!

[jkind]

With Satellite, I can then research Composites or Fiber-Optics!!
http://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/techtree/

Re:Of what use is it?

[parseexception]

personal mp3 server beyond the grasp of the RIAA?

Re:Of what use is it?

[fatcatman]

Also, why is it so special that the satelite runs linux?

You must be new here. Welcome to Slashdot! It doesn't matter what it is, or why it runs Linux, so long as it does. Kitchen appliances? Check. Stuffed animals? Check. Dead flies? We're all over it.

Global dominion

[Fistacious]

'What are we going to do tonight, Brain?' 'Same thing we do every night, Pinky.'

Oooh....I can't wait to do this...

[GillBates0]

bash-2.05a$ ls -al /dev/usb/satellite0
crw-------    1 root     satellite       3,   0 Nov 07  2005 /dev/satellite

bash-2.05a$ file /dev/usb/satellite0
/dev/usb/satellite0: character special SpaceDev MMB-100 microsat

bash-2.05a$ mount /dev/usb/satellite0 /mnt/launch_vehicle

bash-2.05a$ mv /mnt/launch_vehicle /space/orbit

Sats and the DCMA

[Katia22]

If we had to build one of these, get a really powerful wireless connection (something that would transmit from space) and hosted MP3's on it...no one would be able to bring it down...or maybe Bush could use this as an excuse to resurect the star wars program, this time funded by sony and all the other record companies, instead of the tax payers money, it might just get off the ground. Who said that mp3's wouldnt make the world a better place?

Re:A neat idea...

[grumpyman]

In that case, you may want to consider high availability solution with MS Cluster Service on Windows platform with automatic windows-update.

** Comes free with IE6 and WinFS Beta

metric system conversion

[witte]

40 kg ? How much is that in frikken lasers ?
Now all I need is a USB-compatible shark brain to pilot it...

2. Threaten to blow up planet (10 times)
3. Profit !

Beer

[gmuslera]

Luckily they put an OS that is, between more things, Free... who knows how much it would costed if they used there Windows.

There are too much joke potential with the idea of throwing out to space Windows computers also, but of course, nobody wants that a blue screen turns it into a red meteorite of death.

Re:Problem is downlink

[sonicattack]

[...] satellite relay network [...]

CONFIG_BLUETOOTH=y

And launch a lot of them.

A whole new meaning to 'network collision'

[absinthminded64]

Instead of seeing a blinking LED we'll see explosions in the sky! I can't wait for geeks to start slinging their own satellites up!

Plug'n'play space elevator...

[mikael]

The Modular Microsat Bus utilizes such things as plug and play USB, Ethernet, and other standards

Does the USB cable double as a space elevator when not in use?

Re:Problem is downlink

[TheGavster]

It involves Bruce Willis and modified space shuttles.

dont everybody click this at once

[dlippolt]

but damn is it funny, every time i watch it.

http://www.starterupsteve.com/swf/switchlinux3.htm l

especially funny, in the context of this topic

Re:Open Source public Sat?!

[tumbleweedsi]

Well assuming that this puppy has a life span of 10 years (my research on the net suggested sats last anywhere from 5-15) then your $100 dollars contribution would only buy you about 8 hours and 40 minutes at the helm of the slashsat.

That is assuming that everyone does not try to log on in the first few seconds and we then spend 10 years looking at 500 errors while we save up for enough money to send someone up to reboot it.

Re:I'd like less than one.

[Anonymous Coward]

Check your pants -- I think you'll find your 4g "payload".