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Launch Your Own Nanosatellite Into Space
First time accepted submitter Rozine writes "Ever wanted to launch your own satellite into space? Thanks to a project at the Cornell Space Science Lab, now you can. In the words of the grad student leading the project, Zac Manchester, 'What better way of showing off your uber-geek credentials than having your own spacecraft?' Zac hopes that by shrinking the size of each spacecraft and using advancements in computer and solar cell technology, satellites can follow the path of the personal computer revolution, opening up space for the masses. For small donations you will receive mementos, but for $300 and up you will get your very own satellite to be launched into space. Perfect for slashdotters and school projects everywhere!" We covered this project in its infancy back in July. I'm glad to see it gained traction.
Even more "space junk".
that was my first thought. the last thing we need is thousands of geeks launching their own space junk.
If you had clicked on the link...
"Because we will only launch KickSat into a low-altitude orbit, we can guarantee that all of the Sprites will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere within a few days or weeks, leaving no trace of space debris. KickSat itself will last somewhat longer, but should burn up in the atmosphere within a few months."
I'd like to send a vial of my swimmers up there. Is there a size limit? I pull out some three-ropers that put Peter North to shame.
Are you listening? This is your satellite idea come to fruition.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
That sounds like a really terrible idea unless they have a nice garbage collection method planned.
It's a sophisticated system called gravity, although I wouldn't give them full credit for the invention.
This junk it'll be sending up is damn near useless. They want to see how well the electronics hold up in space... for a few days before re-entry, with no ability to query them, and just a very short message sent (on repeat?) via radio?
IMO, I'd rather rent a timeslice on something even a tad more advanced. Long term goal is more interesting, and I realize the first launch is mostly proof-of-concept, but that's an expensive proof for something that can obviously be done. I'd be nice if the larger donations got better kicksat boards at least.
It wouldn't surprise me if there are other projects out there he could team up with that would love to do some swarm robotics up there that wouldn't cost a whole lot more for the individual parts, but could at least make use of there being 100-1000 of them in near proximity in space.
Further off on a tangent.... I was kinda hoping to see a cheaper launch vehicle for microsats. Maybe a combo of weather balloon and rocket that goes off once it hits near-max-height?
It's not gravity. It's atmosphere. Even in Low Earth Orbit, there is a whisper of atmosphere. This causes a drag on the satellite, causing the orbit to decay.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
I don't know how flexible (if at all) the parameters are for your very own "chip" sized satellite but wouldn't it be possible to make it survive re-entry? If it were made of ceramic and light (not dense) enough, couldn't it be designed to "gently" de-orbit without building up the heat that would cause it to vaporize.
Shape might be important too, I understand how that the first space capsule designers were initially flumoxed be the inability of their needle nosed re-entry vehicles to survive more than a few seconds in the hypersonic wind tunnels before melting. Then, a clue from nature in the form of Tektites; spherical blobs of glass of extraterrestrial origin that managed to survive due to the shock wave that protected them. (Russian re-entry vehicles were spherical for a time, now I think they, like the Americans, are using blunt cones). So if they can't be flat, maybe you'll have to take the space of a few "chip" sized satellites to send one golf-ball sized satellite capable of re-entry.
What a scoop that would be if you could do this! Imagine a worldwide competition for "find the space golf ball" where the person who finds the (hopefully) intact ceramic ball will get a reward and fame. (There could be a code inside to verify the winner, or perhaps DeBeers would sponsor putting a nice diamond in it). If constructed properly, it could be made to float so a water landing wouldn't automatically lose it. Maybe some sort of retro-reflector could be used to make finding it easier as well (but would restrict the likely recovery teams to professionals).
Actually since the chance of finding one old be so small, I'd imagine you'd have to send up a bunch with the first one found getting the big reward. Still finding any of them would be a great collectors item! Finally there might be some (very small) uses for being able to return (very small) samples from space but because of the difficulty in finding it, it's probably best suited for some sort of game or promotional event.
It's not gravity. It's atmosphere. Even in Low Earth Orbit, there is a whisper of atmosphere. This causes a drag on the satellite, causing the orbit to decay.
causing the orbit to decay and the satellite to drift off into space...? if only there was a way to predict where in 3d space it would head towards.
Sheldon Cooper is that you?
Screw geek cred. I don't want idiots throwing toilet-paper at the space station. Or explosives.
How can we not have the infrastructure to move off this crazy planet?
Totally agree we need cheap access to space.
Now where did I leave that ceramic coated rebar? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment
-- Terry
Hey, has anybody mentioned the Space Junk problem yet?
I liked it in Star Trek when Spock's casket was launched into space after he died. I thought this would be a great way to be "buried". Then I saw this and put the two together. Why not offer this as a funeral service and instead of all the electronics, put 1000 one centimetre cubes in the release box filled with a small portion of the cremated remains. I think this would sell well at just $300 a pop. I would buy my centimetre spot right now. As a bonus, they could offer some 5 minute digital message for each participant to be beamed out by just one transmitter also in the box. That way ur message would be beamed to earth and out to the heavens forever. It sure would give me comfort to know that for a brief point in the future, part of me would be up in space and then burned up in the upper atmosphere. Maybe I am alone, but I would pay this and much more. Somehow... I think this $300 pricing must be off. Perhaps it is dependent on the load being research based and thus costs being subsidised.
No, they're saying it's small, as in dwarf, which is the meaning of the Greek word from which science derived its nano- prefix.
Just because science has borrowed a word and given it a meaning does not then exclude others from using that same word, especially if in doing so they are using the original meaning and not the one added by scientists 50 years ago.
Really? Is there ANYTHING you cant blame on the supposed 1%? Jesus, give it up already.
I'm not sure, is it in any way related to the problem of space junk?
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
For $300 bucks YOU can go into near space.
A near space stack consists of a helium balloon, recovery parachute, and nearcraft, and can reach fifty feet (~17m) in length. Such a stack can fly to over 100,000ft (~33km) in altitude yet costs only a few hundred dollars. The balloon expands as the stack rises and will eventually burst. The payload then parachutes to earth and is tracked with GPS data sent via telemetry on amateur radio .
If you like that idea, check out what the pros think about launching satellites from balloons. :)
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.