project overview

PROJECT OVERVIEW
MARCH 2015 - POST ALPHA
WWW.OPENSPACEAGENCY.COM
WWW.OCTO23.COM
NEAR EARTH ASTEROID IMPACTS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS (NASA)
1 Gigajoule = 2.39 Megatonnes of TNT
NASA’S ASTEROID GRAND CHALLENGE
“TO FIND ALL ASTEROID THREATS
TO HUMAN POPULATIONS AND
KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM”
Can we increase the number of amateur
astronomers collecting data for an improved
understanding of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs)?
+ “FOLLOWING UP” ON OBSERVATIONS
MADE BY PROFESSIONAL SCOPES AND
SPACE BASED NASA SURVEYS
+ VISIBLE OBSERVATIONS OF NEAs (NEAR
EARTH ASTEROIDS) BY AMATUERS CAN
CONTIBUTE TO SHAPE AND POTENTIALLY
MASS CALCULATIONS.
PROJECT
U LT R A S C O P E
VISION
Instead of a bottleneck of expensive scopes, what if we
distributed the plans and key components to enable
1000s of low cost scopes in schools and makerspaces
around the world?
These scopes would share the load of patrolling the Sky Not just the western or northern hemispheres - the whole
globe.
“FILLING THE GAP IN THE SOUTHERN SKY”
(POWERED BY A SMARTPHONE)
AN AUTOMATED
ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
(FOR $300)
ULTRASCOPE EXPLORER (4.5') - cost $300 USD
(including materials, mirror, lenses steppers, and shield).
Science: Light Curve of known object e.g. ISS or Large mainbelt Asteroid (e.g. CERES)
2. ULTRASCOPE ODYSSEY (8') - Adapted for Solar
observations - estimated cost $750 USD (as above, but
adapted mirror and filters):
Science: Space Weather - sunspots, solar photography.
3. ULTRASCOPE DISCOVERY (20') Tailored for NEA
hunting - estimated cost TBD - but the ideal would be about
$1500;
Science: NEO Characterization.
THE ULTRASCOPE ARDUINO* SHIELD CONTROLS THE STEPPER MOTORS
AND FOCUSSER - ALLOWING INTERGRATION WITH ASTROMETRIC
PROTOCOLS (ASCOM)
ARDUINO MEGA
ULTRASCOPE SHIELD
ULTRASCOPES LIVE STREAM CONTENT TO ANY BROWSER AND THEIR
OBSERVATIONS THEN WILL BE COMBINED IN THE CLOUD
NEWBIES CAN LEARN
HOW TO BECOME
USEFUL CONTRIBUTORS
TO ASTEROID HUNTING BY
FOLLOWING ULTRASCOPE’S
BADGING PROTOCOL.
PROJECT
U LT R A S C O P E
THANK YOU.
http://www.octo23.com
http://www.openspaceagency.com