Kris Kimmel of Kentucky Space is organizing the first hackerSPACE Workshop, which provides an opportunity for makers learn about building spacecraft from space professionals and engineers. The focus of the workshop is on the CubeSat satellite platform. The workshop is November 11-12 in Lexington, Kentucky.
The workshop will be led by Bob Twiggs, Emeritus professor and former director of the Space Systems Development Lab at Stanford University, now professor at Morehead State University and also with Kentucky Space. Bob is credited with inventing the CubeSat spacecraft, which is now helping to revolutionize space, putting it within reach of more people than ever.
Registration Fee is $150 general/$75 student
For information on participation in the workshop, please see the workshop page on the Kentucky Space website.
At this hands-on workshop you’ll learn:
- About the ideation, design, engineering and assembly processes specific to creating your small orbiting (or suborbital) spacecrafts;
- What systems are required to build a fully operational spacecraft;
- About the range of potential satellite “apps.”
- The kinds of tests your craft will have to pass before it can be launched;
- About possible launch opportunities including NASA’s ElaNa program;
- About building partnerships with NASA, DOD and other organizations;
- How to raise the funds for your project(s) and, most importantly;
- How to ward off the jealous neighbors.
MAKE magazine is a media sponsor of the event. Earlier this year, MAKE organized the Make Space Challenge with NASA, which encouraged makers to design experiments that can fly into space on the CubeSat platform. On Space Challenge page, you’ll find a webcast with Kris Kimel and others, which might give you a taste of what you’ll find at the workshop.
From the Pages of MAKE:
Volume 24: DIY Space
Put your own satellite in orbit, launch a stratosphere balloon probe, and analyze galaxies for $20 with an easy spectrograph! We talk to the rocket mavericks reinventing the space industry, and renegade NASA hackers making smartphone robots and Lego satellites. This, plus a full payload of other cool DIY projects, from a helium-balloon camera that’s better than Google Earth, to an electromagnetic levitator that shoots aluminum rings, and much more. MAKE Volume 24, on sale now.