Satellites need to be open source
I am telling maybe something controversial to you guys but I think it's this idea is needed for amsat.
The post is made because I had a question to amsat and the satellite users, builders, controllers,... Why aren't the schematics of AO-7, AO-51, SO-50,... not posted on the internet? In these satellites is are huge amount of magnificent design electronics. Why can't ham-radio amateurs not reuse those design in other satellites, things. You will think: "That is simple to say that everything needs to be opensource but I have worked so long I don't this that other people just copy it!". If I design something for Radio amateur, I will shared it. I find it more important that someone else can use it also. He can make improvement to my design and so gaining better design/ software.
Do you know many stops the mail has. Any how many of those stop are thing that run open-source software. I will start. This email is wrote in Firefox, mailed to Google (which use open source software), the mail packet is routed at my home. Which is an linksys with standard open source linux OS. Then is goes to different routers, smtp relay server which is 9 on 10 a open-source linux server. Then it goes to a POP3 server of amsat which is al so an open-source linux server.
Opensource in not a bad thing. There are a lot great projects. Ubuntu, OpenOffice, gpredict, fldigi,...
Why can satellite builders, controllers share the designs, software of satellite? And if you publish it with the correct license aka GPL, BSD,... Other amateurs can help, improve, make other satellites with the same tested designs. I have a lot of respect of the satellite build at amsat. They have the know-how. But I in my world I find that everyone can access that knowledge. In other words no one can own knowledge in my opinion.
Smaller clubs with not so much knowledge can design his own satellite.
I vote for
I gave you some stuff to thing/discuss over. What is your opinion?
73
ON8RTH Robin Theunis
Hi Robin,
You apparently don't realize that almost all recent AMSAT-NA designs are already open sourced and are available on the internet (such as SuitSat/ARISSAT) or through the AMSAT-NA Journal, the Proceedings and other publications. You just need to do a little searching.
Legacy satellites, like AO-7, are a little tougher since the concept of open sourcing and the internet wasn't around then.
Many, though for sure not all, of the University cubesat design details are also available through their own web sites or through the cubesat/small satellite workshops.
The information is there. You just need to spend some time searching or asking for what information you need.
Regards...Bill - N6GHz
Robin Theunis wrote:
I am telling maybe something controversial to you guys but I think it's this idea is needed for amsat.
The post is made because I had a question to amsat and the satellite users, builders, controllers,... Why aren't the schematics of AO-7, AO-51, SO-50,... not posted on the internet? In these satellites is are huge amount of magnificent design electronics. Why can't ham-radio amateurs not reuse those design in other satellites, things. You will think: "That is simple to say that everything needs to be opensource but I have worked so long I don't this that other people just copy it!". If I design something for Radio amateur, I will shared it. I find it more important that someone else can use it also. He can make improvement to my design and so gaining better design/ software.
Do you know many stops the mail has. Any how many of those stop are thing that run open-source software. I will start. This email is wrote in Firefox, mailed to Google (which use open source software), the mail packet is routed at my home. Which is an linksys with standard open source linux OS. Then is goes to different routers, smtp relay server which is 9 on 10 a open-source linux server. Then it goes to a POP3 server of amsat which is al so an open-source linux server.
Opensource in not a bad thing. There are a lot great projects. Ubuntu, OpenOffice, gpredict, fldigi,...
Why can satellite builders, controllers share the designs, software of satellite? And if you publish it with the correct license aka GPL, BSD,... Other amateurs can help, improve, make other satellites with the same tested designs. I have a lot of respect of the satellite build at amsat. They have the know-how. But I in my world I find that everyone can access that knowledge. In other words no one can own knowledge in my opinion.
Smaller clubs with not so much knowledge can design his own satellite.
I vote for
I gave you some stuff to thing/discuss over. What is your opinion?
73
ON8RTH Robin Theunis
http://robin.tussen.be _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (2)
-
Bill Ress -
Robin Theunis