The Do-It-Yourself Space Program

Amateur Near Space Exploration

Topics

• Cost And Access To Space• Near Space As An Alternative

To Space

Cost And Access To Space

• Want To Send A Satellite Into Orbit?

• Building Costs• Testing?• Construction Time• Launch Costs• Telemetry Stations?

• It’s More Of A Barrier Than An Opportunity

Near Space As An Alternative To Space

• Look And Feel Of Near Space

• It’s Affordable

• It’s Quick

• Accessing Near Space

• Functioning In Near Space

• True Stories From The Near Space Files

What’s It Like In Near Space?

• < 5% Sea Level Pressure• 0 to –40 degrees F• >300 Mile To The Horizon• Cosmic Ray Flux 150X Greater Than Sea

Level

• Black Skies, Curved Horizon, and Primary Cosmic Rays - It Feels Like Space To Me!

Atmospheric Pressure

• Three Rules Of Thumb

• Changes By A Factor Of 3% Per 1000 Feet

• Changes By A Factor Of 50% Per 18,000 feet

• Changes By A Factor Of 90% Per 50,000 feet

Air Temperature

• Drops As You Climb Through The Troposphere

• Rises As You Climb Through The Stratosphere

The Near Space Horizon

• See The Entire State

• Spy On Neighboring States!

Cosmic Rays

• Primary Cosmic Rays Are Atoms From Stars

• Secondaries Created When Primaries Collide with Air Molecules

• Secondaries Further Reduced By The Atmosphere

Near Space Is Affordable

• $500 For A Basic Near Space Capsule

• $100 For Ground Support Equipment

• Local Amateur Radio Support (free!)

• $160 Per Launch (to 85,000 feet)

• Except For Balloon And Helium, It’s All Reusable

Near Space Is Quick

• Build A Capsule Within A Few Months• Build Ground Support Equipment Within

A Few Weeks• Design Your Experiments Within ?

• Complete A Mission In Time For Lunch

Accessing Near Space• Helium Filled Weather

Balloons• Recovery Parachutes• Ascent Rates Of 300

To 1200 FPM

• Helium And The Parachute Keeps The Program Safe

Functioning In Near Space

• Inexpensive GPS Receiver• Radio Modem• Inexpensive HT• APRS• Basic Stamp Based Flight Computer (CC/PS)• Hobby Servos• MAX186 12 Bit ADC• “AA” Batteries

Near Space Experiments

• Determine Cosmic Ray Flux (RM-60)• Atmospheric Temperature Profile• Wind Profile• Remote Sensing The Earth• Technology Tests• Life Sciences• Meteoric Dust• Astronomy

Conclusion

• Is Near Space Right For You?

• Can You Afford The Initial Cost?

• Can You Sustain The Program?

• Get Your Technician’s License!

Near Space Websites

• www.the-one.com/tvnsp

• www.ksu.edu/humec/knsp

• www.eoss.org

• members.home.net/mconner1/nstar.html

• www.kcnet.com/~n3kkm/nearspace.html

• users.crosspaths.net/~wallio/records.html

Strange But True Stories From The Near Space

Files!