DailyDirt: DIY Space Exploration

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Thu, Oct 23rd 2014 5:00pm — Michael Ho

The cost of getting an object into space is getting cheaper with time, so it's not too surprising that amateurs are starting to mess around with small satellites and vehicles that reach the edge of the Earth's atmosphere. Amateurs haven't achieved low Earth orbit without the help of actual aerospace companies, but citizen scientists could be getting closer to doing real space science on shoestring budgets. Here are just a few space exploration projects that didn't cost billions of taxpayer dollars.

There are more than a handful of crowdfunded projects aiming to shoot stuff (including humans) into space. Copenhagen Suborbitals has an impressive following, but there are other amateur rocket scientists putting nano-satellites into low earth orbit and building novel thruster systems and space suits. The ability to do experiments in space has never been as accessible as it is today. [url]
The Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) project is launching a 3D printed rocket at an altitude of over 65,000 feet from a helium balloon. It's a bit more complicated than most weather balloon projects, but it would need more sophisticated tech to get to the edge of space and beyond. [url]
NASA is considering proposals to let some cubesats hitch a ride to Europa to complement its Clipper mission to Jupiter's icy moon. Ten universities are among the finalists to get a $25,000 grant to develop their cubesat experiments. [url]

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Filed Under: crowdfunding, cubesats, diy space, europa, inexpensive space projects, leo, lohan, low orbit helium assisted navigator, satellites, space, space exploration
Companies: copenhagen suborbitals, nasa

5 Comments

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Mason Wheeler (profile), 23 Oct 2014 @ 5:22pm

The Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator project had better be careful; with a name like that they're liable to end up getting sued by a certain celebrity...
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2014 @ 7:16pm

Re:
She's a blowhard. If it is hard, she will blow it.
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Ninja (profile), 24 Oct 2014 @ 1:47am

Re:
The first thing I thought lmao. They should make sure the baloon doesn't look too much like that certain celebrity too.
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CrushU, 24 Oct 2014 @ 6:46am

Re: Re:
Damn, I was going to make the joke, but I've been beaten to the punch by TWO people.

You could say I was...

Ninja'd.

Ok, yeah, that was terrible. But I'm not sorry.
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John Fenderson (profile), 24 Oct 2014 @ 8:14am

Re: Re: Re:
ElReg has already been milking this pun for months on end, so you were beaten by the punch many more than two times. :)
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