Aethon

I think Harv succeeded in putting the Kerbal back in KSP. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=289147900

Mirrors. I'd shop around tho. http://www.webstertelescopes.com/optics.htm Edit- Only the best for K^2. :^)

Sounds like the makings of a very successful KSP comic book.

Lemme look. The one I built used a Formica like, smooth counter top material as a friction bearing. Once I got the mount right, my star tracker was an occasional thumb nudge. Commercial Dob star trackers. http://www.astronomy-mall.com/regular/products/eq_platforms/ For the visual learner tho I'm not sure about this : http://www.nightfirescientific.com/dobsonian-mounts.html K^2 you should be able to do much better than 30 min. worth of tracking. Found this in a quick search. http://www.clearskyobserver.com/index.php/component/content/article/20-telescopemaking/19-sidereal-tracking-platform

Just keepin' it fresh.

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/july/nasa-begins-engine-test-project-for-space-launch-system-rocket/index.html#.U8qkDvldUTo

I think this will answer the OP's questions. This is Michael, Koko's "brother" and if you can watch him sign the story of his mother's death without crying- you're a better man/woman than I.

Mirrors can be bought, or made yourself. Optics: The mirror we will use in our sample scope was made at the Stellafane Mirror Class by the author, and we certainly encourage people to make their own telescope optics. However this project can use any suitable mirror you have, be it made by you, picked up on eBay or our at swap tables, or bought from a commercial supplier. Whatever source that works for you will work in this telescope. All you ever wanted to know about making your own mirror:

http://www.nasa.gov/ames/astronauts-to-test-free-flying-housekeeper-robots/index.html#.U8qZkPldUTo

Tap tap. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

"Dong!?? Grandpa is talking to you!" - Sixteen candles. <em> Insert CubeSat for 'Auootomobeeeel'.

The nuts'll just say we snuck up there recently while nobody was looking and planted it all.

Have you considered building your own? You can build a huge Dobsonian 10-12" including the mirrors in your own shop with some basic tools and little technical skill, for the price of a pretty crappy commercial telescope. I've got some great books on it here... somewhere (glances around). I haven't read this. It's just top o' the Google. https://stellafane.org/tm/dob/

Wow thought I'd have to wait a while for mods. Great work! Love the mod. I hope I'm set to run 64bit but I'm kind of computer dumb. If I do have 64bit, which of the two new available downloads should I choose?

Here's a new image of comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko Darn gif won't play here. See below. http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/rosetta/comet-67p-churyumov-gerasimenko-20140717/index.html#.U8lFtfldUTp

(10 chars)

Ok, granted I've had a few toddies (drinks), K fortunately for both of us, what I tried to post a minute ago is now lost to the cntrl c cntrl v thing. Above is the relevant bit that remains. The gist is that I went to work today, excited about our Non binding funding page total ( 20 minutes after it was started ). Slaved away. Saw a former middle school principal at the grocery store- apologized for past infractions and found out how to get KSP edu in my local school, felt out my local (pub) citizenry on how they felt about contributing to such a thing as this, with no guarantee of ever hearing about our sat again- nearly gettin' in a fight ( pardon me but I'm fired up) with a little minded, small town, swingin' wiener, who had a hot girlfriend and didn't want to hear a darn thing outta my granted loud mouth, about space (how hot his girl was ) or nothin', and I come home to see that nobody here's ready to 'pretend' they're putting their money where their mouth is?? Guess I'll havta refund the $79 buck I collected from the good people in my town, willin' to take a small chance on a pipe dream. "Fortunately, I always keep my feathers numbered- for just, such, an emergency." - Foghorn leghorn. I guess Packled hostage was right- It is broken... Imma go into a 2 week .24 coma. Wake me up when you're serious. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1noDHJlfbIF57V6_0_iIlB_kpeuHq4kLMPZBNyI1NXr8/edit#gid=0 Thanks to the 4 that stepped up. It was fun while it lasted!

sorry hit wrong button, be within a sec.

Do it! Put my John Hancock at the top! Ole King George won't need to put his specs. on to read my name. Plus, you know.... alphabetically...

Of course this is way off in the future, but if K^2 can build something that cheap, we (K^2 says we? Whaddaya got a turd in your pocket??) may as well build two and sell one at a slight profit to some guys a little further along than we are now. I can hear sky_, howling with laughter. As to funding : At the point we are now, I'm fully willing to transfer $100 to K^2 tomorrow. Not that I'm going to mind you. If this project becomes less.. theoretical I can come up with much more over time through some creative community involvement ideas I have. It'd be nice if we had one place (computer nerd powers activate)- where those of us who have money can give sort of a 'funds' ammt. pledge. A page somewhere (so we're not clogging up the forum) we can all edit like: Aethon....... $100 K^2............$100 etc. Certainly nothing set in stone,( don't get excited and pledge what you ain't got ) but to give the rest of you some idea where we are financially. Nick sure likes to type, can u set something like that up mate? Also to Greg : Figure out a way to attach ESTES MODEL ROCKET motors to space debris, and fire them retrograde to deorbit stuff. We'll all be rich and very Kerbal! Baby steps. Sorry about the brevity but gotta work!

http://www.space.com/26542-venus-express-survives-atmospheric-dive.html

Unfortunately NASA retains ownership of all it's spacecraft. http://www.space.com/20317-apollo-moon-rocket-engines-bezos.html

Hey this is just a brainstorm session. Personally I can't see this (living cargo) as a reality, but I'm not one to stifle creativity. Here's one of my favorite astronauts ever- perfectly suited for this mission. Tardigrades. http://www.planetary.org/explore/projects/life/images/tardigrade_2.html Check out the failed Phobos Grunt mission, which I supported, and am still heartbroken over. We can learn a lot from these mission reports: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/lou-friedman/3361.html http://www.planetary.org/explore/projects/life/ http://www.planetary.org/blogs/bruce-betts/3327.html

Heater? Check me if I'm wrong here Sandy but the direct sun temp at the Earth moon distance is 121 degrees C (250 degrees F[ not to mention what the air temp inside a sealed.... something does in direct sunlight]), and then 45 min. after sunrise the temp will plunge to -156 C (-250 F) as we move to the night side, so heaters and a chiller. Wait... I, I can see the future... The mission report's coming in.... Unfortunately I think it's a failure. Unless you can find a better way. Not trying to be mean, just funny.