Free/libre software, hardware, and ideals is building the next Space Age
Four new resources worth exploring every Friday
FOSS IN SPACE #4: Open Lunar
Here are this week's four free/libre space resources that are worth exploring:
1. Moon For Everyone
It has been over 50 years(!) since we were last on the Moon, and humans have not ventured beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) since. That is about to change. There is a growing effort by governments and private enterprise to build what is necessary to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent presence. Open Lunar Foundation is exploring how to create policy, good governance, and commercial partnerships for a thriving commons on the Moon.
Link: Open Lunar Foundation
2. FOSS Apollo
Virtual AGC Project is a treasure trove of resources concerning the onboard guidance computers used in Project Apollo. The highlight is Virtual AGC: a GPL-licensed emulator of the Apollo Guidance Computer capable of running original Apollo code, plus an assembler that can convert new code to executables for the AGC CPU. Pre-built VirtualBox images (running atop of Lubuntu Linux) are available for download, or build it yourself with the complete source code with instructions provided.
Link: The Virtual AGC Project
3. Python the Stars
Open source plays an important role in space science, with Python packages such as NumPy and matplotlib important to the mathematical work of astronomers. Started in 2011 from a mailing list for Python in astronomy, the Astropy Project is a BSD-licensed community effort to build and maintain a common core Python package for astronomy.
Link: Astropy
4. Pointing in the Right Direction
An open-source hardware and software project for the amateur astronomy community, PiFinder is a Raspberry Pi-based all-in-one device that mounts on a telescope and combines positioning, search, chart display, and logging to help observers find and view astronomical objects. Use the online build guide to source components and build your own PiFinder, or purchase a kit or assembled unit.
Link: PiFinder
Quote of the Week: "The Moon’s low gravity and slow rotation mean that a space elevator could be built with materials already available. The honeycomb fiber called M5 is lighter and stronger than Kevlar; a ribbon 3 centimeters wide and 0.02 millimeter thick could support 2,000 kilograms on the lunar surface or 100 climbers with a mass of 600 kilos each, evenly spaced along the ribbon. We could build a lunar elevator right now."
— Chris Impey, Beyond: Our Future in Space
Until next week....Onward!
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