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Archive for March, 2012

Shining a Light on Space Commercialization

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

The Canadian Space Commerce Agency (CSCA) recently highlighted the “state of crisis” of Canada’s space infrastructure.

Although this statement paints a not-so-pretty picture, what became clear during yesterday’s CSCA conference was that the potential for growth is huge. So, what does the future hold? All signs point to commercialization (and public opinion) playing a major role in shaping the space industry — both in Canada and abroad.

Read more.

SXSW Presentation on the Next Stage

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Check out this video of Matt Boyd, UrtheCast’s Product Developer, presenting at Built 2012. This presentation took place on the Next Stage from this year’s SXSW Conference.

video-sxsw

Creating Video From Space Data

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

Young fans of the Academy Award-winning movie “Hugo” may have been surprised to learn that movies once had to be projected onto a screen using a hand-cranked machine and color was to be added to each film by hand, frame by frame.

Today video comes to your computer or monitor with the click of a mouse. Or so it seems.

While much more automated, there still is a lot of work that has to be done between capturing a moving image and displaying it to an audience. And doing that from space in almost real-time is even more complicated.

It all begins and ends with data. First, you need a few things: a way to capture the image data (say a camera), and a way to transform the data into digitized form and a place to put that data (say a computer). That computer, then, is going to need a high-speed processor, lots of storage space, and lots of memory, because it will also need software to process and edit the image data.  Read more.

All That Space Trash

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Late in the evening on January 28th, 2012 the rocket thrusters on the International Space Station roared to life. It was an emergency action, an evasive maneuver to protect the $100 billion floating laboratory from a collision that could have easily dislodged one of the delicate solar panels or torn apart one of the life-sustaining pressure locks. The cause of this maneuvering was not a competing satellite, shuttle, asteroid or alien craft but space junk left over from the destruction of a satellite 5 years earlier. Anyone familiar with the work of Donald Kessler and the Syndrome that bears his name was not surprised. For more than three decades advocates of the Kessler Syndrome have been preaching about the growing problem of leftover debris from satellites, command modules and discarded space craft: space trash.  Read more.

Record-Breaking Mars Mission Simulation Planned for ISS

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

NASA announced this week that it will consider a 500-day test trip to Mars aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

At  approximately 16-months-long, this simulation will mark the longest manned mission in space — a marathon in the world of manned space missions. Space Station missions typically last about six months, so this Mars test would push the bounds of what a human body can withstand. Physiological and psychological tests will have to take place before one can be attempted.
Read more.

Astronaut Hilary Clinton? Secretary of State Talks Spaceflight & Amelia Earhart

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

When the U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton spoke at a recent celebration of aviator Amelia Earhart, she revealed something few people know — that she dreamed of becoming the first female astronaut in space.

A young Hilary even went so far as to send a letter to NASA stating her lofty ambitions:

. . .  when I was about 13, I wrote to NASA and asked what I needed to do to try to be an astronaut. And of course, there weren’t any women astronauts, and NASA wrote me back and said there would not be any women astronauts. And I was just crestfallen. But then I realized I couldn’t see very well, and I wasn’t all that athletic, so probably – (laughter) — I wouldn’t be the first woman astronaut anyway. Read more.

Adiós, Austin! Parting Photos from SXSW

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Well, that’s a wrap! Between the food, the awesome response to Alpha One, and the amazing attendees, SXSW Interactive has treated our team well. Armed with new insights into how users will want to interact with the platform, and loads of info on how the interactive world is evolving, the team back at HQ can’t wait to implement everything the SXSW crew brings back with them (including any awesome food stuffs).

Next week, the blog will get back to the regularly scheduled space talk. In the meantime, check out a few more highlights from UrtheCast’s time in Austin, Texas: Read more.

The Sights of SXSW: From Urthelings to Mathematicians

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Celebrity sightings, parties, and web discussions aside, SXSW brings with it a host of interactions with some impressive characters — not only social media pundits, but with the scientific sort as well.

While part of our team was being interviewed, the rest were busy taking pictures of Urthelings and discovering ways people hope to use the UrtheCast platform when the cameras go live this year. Read more.