Planetary Thoughts

Silicon Valley Space Center

After all the activities of which were involved in 2010 and 2011; we learned many lessons and met wonderful people that really contributed in  our projects.  We could not let these resources go so we decided to help in the creation of the Silicon Valley Space Center (SVSC).  We had many of our projects center on the Mojave Dessert of California as it is an incubator of space development.  Many start-ups have chosen the Mojave as the place to investigate the applicability and manufacture of space technology.  Examples range from Scaled Composites to Masten Space Systems.  Since the dessert had proximity to the Silicon Valley; a consensus developed  to name it after the valley that produced much of our modern technology.  The SVSC is a business incubator while being a hang-out of sorts for people who care about space. Based on the Hacker Dojo concept; to have a space that is both free enough for creative thinking but can be conducive for group meetings to network on ideas.

SVSC/ASEC partnership has been noticed.  ASEC/SVSC had/have presentations at all three Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conferences (NSRC 2010, NSRC 2011, and the upcoming  NSRC 2012).   ASEC/SVSC contributed to proposals for the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts and Flight Opportunities programs along with the Silicon Valley Space Center. Our group was granted the Flight Opportunities award  for our project to measure the mesosphere, a location that benefits from parabolic and orbital flight.  We are looking forward to these opportunities this year.

To learn more about the original Silicon Valley Space Center click here.

To see our abstracts for NRSC 2010 click here for Branly & Howard, and here for Komatireddy et al.

To see our abstract for NRSC 2012 click here for Casey et al.

To see more information on the Flight Opportunities program; click here.

Cold Planets

The large outer planets were the home of the gods.  They were Mount Olympus. Shining brightly, the inspired awe and fear.  They inspired us to build probes and send them out at great speeds. What we observed was even more beautiful than the myth behind each planet.  Comment on the differences and similarities of these bodies.

Warm Planets

The inner planets always intrigued the different ideas and thoughts of the ancient astronomers.  They thought Venus was the planet of grace and dignity. It was the home of advanced thought and design.  Mars on the other hand was barbaric and arid.  Warrior came from here.  Several novels from H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burrows borrowed from these ideas.  Now we know there are not these cultures and attributes; Venus is hot wasteland with no cities, and Mars is cold hinterland with some possibility of microbial life. Comment on the similarities and differences of the Terrestrial planets.