Comments on: How to launch your own homemade satellite

By: BME

BME — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:28:37 +0000

The R&D potentials are incredible. I can’t imagine many people spending $20,000 to get something into space. However, if I had space tech that passed testing in the vomit comet and a test could be miniaturized and run for a $10,000 seat on the rocket. That would be a nice cost savings. Anyone who only sees this type of thing as space junk is greatly mistaken. They probably call a transistor radio that a kid built from a kit a piece of junk as well…

Some of these projects will not be of scientific importance. However, the societal and scientific impact of these projects will be profound.

By: Lucidry

Lucidry — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:36:53 +0000

I commend you for making at least a well thought out statement.
There’s too much whining and moaning about space junk because they can’t look past their own noses to see potential in DIY things, as if everyone who’s looking at spending their money to get a satellite out there is only egotistical or some kinda spammer.. that’s naive.
At least your comment makes a valid point about organization being necessary.

By: Lloyd

Lloyd — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:49:51 +0000

Our societies destroy every kind of environment we come up against. The space faring countries need to get together and make laws regulating this sort of thing before it becomes a problem.

By: Bri

Bri — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 19:22:34 +0000

These satellites are small and are sent to low orbits. Most will fall back and burn up quickly. What possible use? How about developing a space junk cleaning satellite.

By: Jay

Jay — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 06:22:59 +0000

I wholehartedly agree with DrDubious “more space junk!”. This is a ridiculous exercise, smaking of an egoistic need to claim some kind of immortality! Is just another extension of graffiti or advertising. Both useless forms of communication which are increasingly filling up the worlds visual spaces with inane, ‘look at me’ information!

By: DrDubious

DrDubious — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 01:28:37 +0000

Just what we need: more space junk.

By: George

George — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:06:48 +0000

This is great news, but we should be giving serious thought to keeping all the stuff we send up there organized in space highways and secondary roads. Colliding with space junk will become a common occurrence if organizational protocols are not implemented.

By: Kai

Kai — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:55:56 +0000

Reasons being whatever you can imagine! I look forward to when I can virtually plug into one and zip around in space, but I’ll probably be a really old dude by then.

By: GatorALLin

GatorALLin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:56:21 +0000

here is another Kickstarter one.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/880837561/skycube-the-first-satellite-launched-by-you?ref=live

and take a ping pong ball way up… great for students to learn about space, etc. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1569698176/1000-student-projects-to-the-edge-of-space?ref=live

By: Vin

Vin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:25:11 +0000

Increased potential to develop mining of Van Allen belt antimatter? (current cost to produce antimatter = $Billions/gram).

By: omran al-kandari

omran al-kandari — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:59:52 +0000

if that’s true i would love to pay for that :)

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:35:06 +0000

So, what reasons would people have to launch satellites? Custom satellite internet?