amateur space

These “Balloongineers” Floated to 31km for the Global Space Ballooning Challenge

These “Balloongineers” Floated to 31km for the Global Space Ballooning Challenge

By Lisa Martin

Lisa Martin

A typical day for Lisa includes: getting up to see the sunrise, bicycling, interning at Make:, reading and writing short stories, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts for hours while working on projects or chores.

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The Balloongineers had quite the adventure sending up and recovering their high altitude balloon for the Global Space Ballooning Challenge.

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Hobby Rocketeers Build Amazing Upsized Estes Gyroc

Hobby Rocketeers Build Amazing Upsized Estes Gyroc

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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A group of Florida hobbyists have created a monstrous version of the classic Estes Gyroc. But will it fly?

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5 Ham Radio Projects with Diana Eng

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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Here are five great ham radio projects from the Make: archive.

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Fantastic 3-mile High Rocket Flight Captured with Raspberry Pi Camera

Fantastic 3-mile High Rocket Flight Captured with Raspberry Pi Camera

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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This Portland State Aerospace Society’s (PSAS) L-12 launch in mid-July is beautiful and impressive. PSAS is a student-based open source rocketry group out of Portland State University. They make all of their design files, flight data, documentation, launch procedures, etc. available on GitHub. PSAS has a history of pushing the envelope in amateur rocketry and […]

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3D Printable Robotic Telescope You Can Build

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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When I was a teen, I did an astronomy (and archeology) summer camp one year. As part of it, we got to spend some nights operating the telescope in the teacher’s backyard observatory. He had turned a Sears metal garden shed into an impressive little observatory, complete with a motorized roof that opened to raise […]

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