21 May 2010: Saber Astronautics key presenter at The First Australasian Workshop on Computation in Cyber-Physical Systems (CompCPS-2010)
Our own Dr. Held will represent Saber Astronautics as an invited speaker to CompCPS-2010. The workshop builds on knowledge and practical experience in embedded systems, sensor networks, multi-robot teams, and evolvable/adaptive hardware. Dr. Held will present our latest advances in CPS from the perspective of applying non- linear state space modelling in Systems of Systems.
11 Feb 2010: Saber Astronautics Invited by NSSA to present at the PowerHouse Museum
It is confirmed: Saber Astronautics is presenting CoW at the Powerhouse Museum on 16 March 2010. The CoW presentation is significant because it will present the baseline simulator and engine which has dual-use potential for the game as well as our real-world efforts in spacecraft groundstation interfaces. We will highlight the developmental differences and are very much looking forward to the valuable feedback NSSA can provide.
30 September 2009: Early CoW results presented at the 2009 ASSC
Through our new sister company, Saber Astronautics Australia, the demonstration version of CoW was presented at the 2009 Australian Space Science Conference, organized by the NSSA and the National Committee for Space Science (NCSS). An early demonstration and feedback approach to CoW's development is important for us to form linkages with the science community, in order to have highest impact as a STEM product.
17 April 2009: CoW Endorsed by NSSA and MSA
We are very happy to report that 'Conquest of the Milky Way' has the full endorsementof the National Space Society Australia and the Mars Society Australia! The NSSA and MSA are both non-profit organizations which run space related events throughout Australia and are key channels to area space enthusiasts and education groups. The Mars Society Australia is an incorporated non-profit organization registered as an approved research institute by the CSIRO and part of the worldwide movement supporting research and development for the planet Mars. We are very proud to have their support.
12 March 2009: Saber Astronautics Sponsors David Haslam of HMSI
We are now the official sponsors for HMSI Inc's David Haslam on his educational speaking tour. For those who don't know him, David's dedication to Michigan education is unparalleled and his proven public speaking expertise brings great credit to himself and HMSI Inc. Even in the roughest times, David fearlessly and tirelessly spearheads the efforts to improve public education and his society. He is a true pioneer and we are proud to be associated with him. On behalf of Saber Astronautics LLC., we thank you for this opportunity to help sponsor your 2009 speaking tour.
31 October 2008: Saber Astronautics Selected to Present CoW to NASA
After extensive review by internal and external experts, NASA Learning Technologies and the Innovative Program Office selected the Saber Astronautics team as one of three finalists to present 'Conquest of the Milky Way' (CoW) at NASA Goddard on November 7th.
We are very proud to be one of only three teams chosen out of 178 entries in the competition. It speaks volumes about our talent and our people. Our expertise and ability to integrate NASA science data into the game was specifically noted during the review, as well as the financial viability of the product.
We are very excited for the opportunity to support the space industry by educating, motivating, and inspiring America's youth to be America's future. For us at Saber Astronautics, we are honored to be in their final consideration. Based on this result, we will be moving forward with CoW independently of NASA’s decision.
THE HUMANS ARE COMING
6 August 2008: Saber Astronautics to present PIGI results at Space2008 Conference
Saber Astronautics will be presenting a "System of Systems" approach to measuring the performance of lunar base designs at the Space2008 Conference in San Diego California 9-11 September. This project (a subset of PIGI) aims to model all aspects of a lunar base in order to create the most efficient and robust design based on how well its individual systems perform as a whole. This type of "real world" modeling enables engineers to foresee how a lunar base might function under any combination of scenarios including a space weather event, power outage, structural breech, life support system failure, etc. This paper was a collaboration with the University of Stuttgart's Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme (IRS).
25 July 2008: Saber Astronautics Proposals Make Finals in Mars Project Challenge
The Mars Society has a need for new ideas and we at Saber Astronautics rose to the challenge. The winning proposal, designed for the $10 million range, will provide direction for the Mars Society’s future research direction and inspire its members. Their previous project, the Mars Analogue programs (such as the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station), was a worldwide success and it is our pleasure to contribute our ideas to their cause. Both proposals were accepted as finalists. We will be presenting at the Mars Society conference in Boulder Colorado, 14-17 August 2008. Briefs are provided below. Full abstracts of all entries are viewable by paid Mars Society members here.
MOSOC
MOSOC, or Mars Open Source Operations Commander, is a command and data handling system designed to automate operations for a habitat and crew on another planet. Using a network of computers and sensors, MOSOC monitors the location and vitals of crew members, subsystems, and mission-related logistics (such as food and water). The MOSOC server on Earth broadcasts telemetry over the Web as a multiplexed datastream. MOSOC will be open source allowing anyone on the Internet to contribute to its development.
Tumbler
For a manned mission to Mars, artificial gravity could mean the difference between arriving with a crew ready for adventure, or a crew struggling to walk. The challenge is to design a spacecraft large enough for the gravitational effect, yet compact enough to be launchable using conventional rockets. The solution: a component, interfaced to a human-rated spacecraft, designed to tumble it through space.
The payload module and propulsion module are tethered to a central hub. The hub extends or retracts modules gradually changing gravitational effects during flight in order to acclimate astronauts to their destination. The project scales from nanosat-sized demonstrators, all the way up to a full-size manned spacecraft.
