Why space matters: HEO Satellite Operations, Part 1–You’ve Never Kepled?

In previous lessons you’ve learned about the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO). There are pros and cons in using each orbit. Generally for satellites in LEO orbit, particularly imagery satellites like those owned by DigitalGlobe and SkyBox, the closer the satellites are to the Earth, the more detail of the objects […]

Astronaut Pay

Sure, some of us say we’d work in space for free. We’re pretty nerdy that way. I’m pretty sure, then, for these astronauts, that getting paid to do something they love, is icing on the cake. I’m assuming astronauts love their job. There’s a lot of work and commitment involved to become an astronaut, though, so […]

DIY Space: The Zero Gravity Cocktail Project (and A Project You Can Do)

Somehow, for some reason, cocktails and space seemed to be linked. It was only natural, then, for someone to design a cocktail glass for space. This is trickier than it sounds, and Make Magazine’s post goes into some detail of the re-invention of the cocktail glass. Think about the main ingredient required for enjoying a […]

Why Space Matters: Satellites Can See Bad Actors

Imaging and video satellites, like the SkyBox Imaging’s SkySat-1 satellite, bring a different, almost Santa-like, perspective to world events. While they don’t necessarily see you when your sleeping, they can guess when you’re awake. They know when you are rioting in the streets, and setting fire to property because your human rights are being violated. […]

Smallsats, Cubesats, and Chipsats: Klein, Aber Oho!

Nope, you aren’t seeing things. There’s some German in the title there. The phrase essentially means small but mighty (like my wife). And the phrase describes, in a nutshell, the explosive growth and growing capabilities of these miniature mighty man-made moons. Nature.com has a fairly good write-up about the history and current state of Cubesats. It’s exciting […]