Free/libre software, hardware, and ideals is building the next Space Age
Four new resources worth exploring every Friday
FOSS IN SPACE #7: Stellarium
Here are this week's four free/libre space resources that are worth exploring:
1. Screen Full of Stars
Stellarium is open source, cross-platform desktop planetarium software. It displays a 3D map of the stars with an immense range of features. Its also available in mobile versions for Android and iOS so it can be used outdoors for nighttime stargazing. The best way to get started with Stellarium is simply download the package (for Linux there is an up-to-date AppImage) and run it full-screen and start clicking, zooming, scrolling, as you travel backward and forward in time.
Link: Stellarium
2. DiSplay/KeYboard
In their missions to the Moon, the Apollo astronauts used the DSKY (pronounced "diskey") as the primary interface between themselves and the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) both in the Command and Lunar Modules (similar hardware, different software). This is a fun video of a homebuilt DSKY using Raspberry Pi and Arduino, with resources to build your own provided on GitHub.
Link: Raspberry Pi Apollo Guidance DSKY Adventure
3. Citizen Scientist
Python plays a large role in calibrating, downloading, and analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The code pipeline that ferries raw data into finished images and scientific discoveries is free/libre software, and a wealth of documentation and tutorials for data science projects is available.
Link: How To Download JWST Data & Analyze It With Python
4. As Above, So Below
The European Space Agency (ESA) operates a constellation of satellites known as the Copernicus Sentinels. Collectively the system generates terabytes of Earth Observation (EO) data daily. Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (CDSE) is a free, public platform that provides access to Copernicus data and a range of analysis and visualization tools. A talk delivered at FOSDEM 2025 dives into the details.
Link: Unlocking Open-Source Capabilities in the CDSE
Quote of the Week: "If fish could think at our level of intelligence, back before humanity existed, and some fish were starting to venture up on land, a lot of them would be saying, just as we do now about space: 'Why would we want to go there? What's the point?' And they'd have literally no idea of what venturing onto land was going to mean."
— Frank White, The Overview Effect
Until next week....Onward!
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