So a group of us went to SpaceVision - Myself, Harvey Elliott, and Casey Keys. For those of you who don't know, SpaceVision is the annual SEDS conference. You can read about the conference by clicking here. Its a great conference for those who need a good introduction to the current happenings in space.
We got here late yesterday (11-5-2010) after driving through some snow. While we missed all of the firday sessions, we did get here in time for the after party (which, frankly, is the primary reason to go to space conferences :D ). It was good meeting up with some of the people I've met at previous conferences and events.
The sessions I saw today were
1. A Presentation on science at NASA Ames
2. A Presentation on what space will be like in 2030 (short answer - depends on who you ask)
3. A Presentation about the Orion capsule (which I did learn has a docking system that is still in flux).
4. A space policy discussion/presentation about space debris mitigation.
5. A presentation by Dr. George Nield from FAA/AST to talk about developments in Commercial Space.
Very cool stuff. Will provide more details on the way home. As will Casey & Harvey on their posts.
And we have pictures!!!
I built a battery charger last night using a soldering iron and $30 worth of parts from ebay. It connects four electric field sensors in series and then incorporates a balance board so that each lithium ion battery gets the same amount of juice. Pretty simply complicated if you think about it. I'm telling you this story because it looks like it came from China, and well it did - mostly, but my point is it still looks like it came from China. After all that cutting and hacking and soldering that is so often necessary for a proprietary space-y instrument, it still has that wonderful OEM finish to it. You'd never even notice it was modified and that's something I take great pride in. Making hardware for space missions that looks like you could pick it up at your local Walmart. That's an accomplishment. I wish I had my camera...
Everyone wants to be a space engineer, right? Here's a challenge, how do you boil water, in space? Too easy? How do you make a 32 turn solenoid with a radius of 30 m, in space?
So, a bunch of Michigan grads, and Michigan Students went down to watch the final launch of Atlantis.
Here are some photos, and 1 sentence reactions
Representing Michigan at Atlantis STS-132 launch. pictures to come!
-Ashwin
This trip has been awesome! 18 hr road trip, 2 minute BLOW YOUR MIND Liftoff, 1 Night camping, and soon to drive back!
- Gary
This is a story I'll tell my grandchildren... the day I saw the last shuttle launch with the Atlantis orbiter!
-Brit
Pictures and video cannot do that justice. Not even close.
-Scott
An inspiring symbol representing mankind's resistance to continuous disbelief.
-Philip
BRIGHT LIGHT!!!!!!!
-Darcy
Balloons are absolutely bursting with possibilities! The high-altitude flight that is achieved by balloons provides visibility, in situ atmospheric exploration, and access to our near space environment. High-altitude balloon design opens up new opportunities for novel technologies and applications, as well as new communication platforms. In short, balloons can be our bridge from earth to space.
The fact that we can see farm fields and the ethereal glow of the Earth’s curvature in one frame is awe-inspiring. High-altitude balloon flight allows us to reach up and experience space from our own backyards, enabling our curiosities to go to the edge of space and back.
The photos that return from these balloons are a postcard from space, saying: “Wish you were here!”