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HobbySpace

 

 
Welcome to HobbySpace. the site that will prove to you that everyone can participate in space exploration and development in one way or another.
May 2014
Blogs
Space Hobbies & Activities in the Spotlight

Sunspotter – citizen solar science

Sunspotter is a Zooniverse citizen science project in which participants ” help to organize sunspot images in order of complexity to better understand and predict how the Sun’s magnetic activity affects us on Earth. The Sunspotter blog includes interesting items such as this Space weather – a short guide and  The Making of a Magnetogram Part I: Lost in a Magnetic Field... Read the rest of this entry...

Several space auctions coming up

I’ve recently pointed to two auctions coming up of space memorabilia/collectibles (see posts here and here). Robert Pearlman finds seven in the next three months: Spring space sales: Space history artifacts and astronaut mementos up for auction – collectSPACE. See also the collectSPACE – space history, memorabilia and artifacts event calendar. ... Read the rest of this entry…

Video: Citizen science explained

Chandra Clarke explains what citizen science is all about in this recent TEDx talk: Citizen science explained – Citizen Science Center ... Read the rest of this entry...

NASA’s Asteroid Grand Challenge Contest

NASA’s Asteroid Data Hunter contest series will offer $35,000 in awards over the next six months to citizen scientists who develop improved algorithms that can be used to identify asteroids. This contest series is being conducted in partnership with Planetary Resources Inc. of Bellevue, Wash... Read the rest of this entry…

CubeSat Weekend (UK) – learn to develop & launch a satellite

The UK Satellite Applications Catapult organization is hosting the CubeSat Weekend in Oxfordshire: CubeSat Weekend: 29th-30th March 2014... Read the rest of this entry…

Inspiration Mars student design contest finalists selected

The Mars Society has selected finalists for the  International Student Design Competition for concepts related to the proposed Inspiration Mars Mission ... Read the rest of this entry…

European Rover Challenge 2014

Europe approaching Mars - The European Rover Challenge 2014, an international Mars rover contest, will be held in Poland in September. It will be accompanied by a Convention attended by world class space researchers, as well as a Science Picnic. The trio of events is hosted together thanks to the hospitality of the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship. ... Read the rest of this entry

Space Art Spotlight

The Last Theorem: Space Elevator by  John Harris
The Last Theorem: Space Elevator

Mars Life  by  John Harris
Mars Life
Cover for the book Pandoras Star  by  John Harris
Cover for Pandora's Star by
Peter F. Hamilton

Cover of The Planets Series: Titan by Ben Bova - John Harris
Cover of The Planets Series: Titan
by Ben Bova

Cover of The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi - John Harris
Cover for The Ghost Brigades
By John Scalzi


John Harris
More space art...
Space News from Virtual Amanda Bush

Here is the May 2014 episode of The Virtual SpaceTV 3D show with Amanda Bush. She begins with a report on the latest SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of a Dragon spacecraft with supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. She then talks about the return of the first stage of the Falcon 9 after it separated from the upper stage down to a soft landing onto the ocean surface. Amanda then switches to science and reports on the recent discovery of an exoplanet nearly the size of earth that orbits in the habitable zone of its star. She discusses the comet Siding Spring heading for a close encounter with Mars and the occasional blow washes given to the Mars rovers.

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Other Virtual SpaceTV 3D shows are available on the HobbySpace Youtube Channel.

The Virtual SpaceTV 3D shows are created by BINARY SPACE (www.binary-space.com) with story content from HobbySpace.com. These videos are intended as demonstrations of an experimental technique for generating animated presentations. The show was generated autonomously by software according to a text script. The project is described in the Virtual Producer whitepaper (pdf). For further information contact info@binary-space.com.


Here are the previous two shows in the Virtual SpaceTV 3D series:

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Virtual SpaceTV 3D - March/April 2014
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Virtual SpaceTV 3D - February 2014
Space Music Video of the Month

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Digital Stories: Cosmos
Written and peformed by Dima Filippov.

It's a Whole New Outer Space Out There

A New Rocket Flies in Texas

SpaceX continues its determined, step-by-step effort to develop a "fully and rapidly" reusable launch system. To lower launch costs significantly, there must be little or no hardware thrown away during a flight, the vehicle stages must return directly to the launch site, and the system must be reassembled and re-flown quickly, eventually within a day, with minimal maintenance. That is, a true space transport system must have airliner type operations. Since the cost of propellants is only 0.3% of the total cost of a $60M dollar expendable launch, a cost reduction of as much as a factor of 100 is possible with a high launch rate.

Here is a video of a new reusable first stage booster prototype for the SpaceX Falcon 9. The F9R Dev.1 vehicle flew to 1000 meters on its second flight at their test facility in Texas. The altitude limitation there is 3000 meters so a Dev. 2 vehicle will start flying in a few months at Spaceport America in New Mexico. It will fly up to very high altitudes where it can test powered return technques.

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On the Falcon 9 launch of a Dragon cargo vessel to the ISS on April 18th, the first stage did a controlled retrofire and descent that brought it down for a soft landing upon the water. After several more such experiments, a first stage will boost back to the Cape later this year for a landing on a dry surface. Next year SpaceX plans to then re-fly a previously flown first stage on a Falcon 9 launch.

Follow the latest developments in this NewSpace era with a subscription to NewSpace Watch.



Check for the latest in leading edge rocket and space travel projects on the
Space Transport News Blog
Satellite Tracking at HobbySpace
Satellite tracks
Satellite track display

3-D viewing option
Run the Satellite Tracking Tool from BINARY SPACE right here at HobbySpace in your browser. The program allows you to track a large set of satellites in both low earth and geostationary orbits. (Note: the program requires Microsoft Silverlight, Version 5 or higher, as well as the latest version of your browser. Currently the program works on the Microsoft® Windows® platform only.) The Satellite Observing section provides additional information and web resources about the hobby of satellite tracking and watching.
Real-Time Space Viewers
Sun & Space Weather Data
Sun and Space Weather
Real time images, charts and data displays

Aurora, Meteors & Fireballs Data
Aurora, Meteors & Fireballs
Real time images, charts and data displays

See the archive of previous HobbySpace homepage Spotlight items ...
April 14
- June-July 2014

HobbySpace has been providing thousands of space links, news and information daily since

January 1999.

The Art of C. Sergent Lindsey

 

 
 
 
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