Hawaiʻi's Technology Community
$8,000 DIY Satellite Kit (includes launch)
Planet Earth has entered the age of the Personal Satellite with the introduction of Interorbital's TubeSat Personal Satellite (PS) Kit. The new IOS TubeSat PS Kit is the low-cost alternative to the CubeSat. It has three-quarters of the mass (0.75-kg or 1.65-lb) and volume of a CubeSat, but still offers plenty of room for most experiments or applications. And, best of all, the price of the TubeSat kit actually includes the price of a launch into Low-Earth-Orbit on an IOS NEPTUNE 30 launch vehicle. Since the TubeSats are placed into self-decaying orbits 310 kilometers (192 miles) above the Earth's surface, they do not contribute to the long-term build-up of orbital debris. After operating for a few months (the exact length of time on orbit is dependent on solar activity), they will safely re-enter the atmosphere and burn-up. TubeSats are designed to be orbit-friendly. Launches are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2011. More on Interorbital.com
Mahalo for the link Joe!
Views: 82
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Brian on
-
They built their "spaceport" on the most beautiful part of 'Eua - the southermost tip.
But who cares about that right? Let's put up useless satellites.
-
Permalink Reply by Daniel Leuck on
-
Hey Brian - Having never visited Tonga, I defer to your knowledge of the geography, but it looks like their "spaceport" is a small platform being built on a relatively barren plain with no trees on the east side of the southernmost tip. If it pumps a little money into the Tongan economy, that could be a good thing. As to whether or not the satellites will be useless - thats really up to the people who purchase them. They are small, low orbit satellites so they will safely re-enter the atmosphere and burn-up after a few months.
-
-
It'll pump money into the royals' coffers.. I was there when this thing started. It's not a barren plain. It's a beautiful area with wild horses and natural sinkholes - I've been there.
Anyway I realize the satellites are small and will decay in the atmosphere. Bottom line for me is it's a plaything for people to spend some money on that will have a detrimental environmental impact on a pristine area with no net benefit overall. I.e. it's just a way for people to make money.
-
-
Without all the particulars, its hard for me to render judgment (not that anyone cares about my opinion on the matter :-)) For example, if the spaceport is a 20m x 20m platform with a command hut next to it, I don't think that is a big deal. If its some sprawling thing that turns this scene into a cement wasteland, then yes, thats probably not a positive development for the area.
In general, providing inexpensive access to space for academic institutions and commercial R&D seems like it would stimulate innovation.
> It'll pump money into the royals' coffers
Yes, well, that is one drawback of having a monarchy.
> was there when this thing started. It's not a barren plain. It's a beautiful area with wild horses and
> natural sinkholes - I've been there.
I thought you were in Fiji. Did you also live in Tonga? I'm becoming increasingly jealous.
-
Permalink Reply by Roger Garrett on
-
This sounds intriguing. But I also see that InterOrbital is pre-selling lunar material, which they expect to retrieve with a sample return mission. So, buy it now, take delivery when and IF they ever actual accomplish their lunar sample return mission. Since they haven't even launched a single spacecraft, it's hard to imagine that they'll actually ever get to the Moon and back.
I think I would at least wait until they've successfully launched a number of their IOS NEPTUNE 30 launch vehicles, which are intended to loft the TubeSats into oribit.
-
-
I lived in Tonga on and off from about 2002-2004 - after Micronesia/Fiji.
Poking around a bit more it sounds like it's a "mobile launchpad". The environmental impact probably isn't too terrible.. I guess I'm just continually disappointed more and more when I see stuff like this come out and the first thing people think of is "Oh cool.. we can launch our own sputnik into space" rather than even stopping to question the impact of it, etc.
Everyone just assumes tech is good...
© 2024 Created by Daniel Leuck.
Powered by
