OSHW Logo – credit the Open Source Hardware Association
It should come as no surprise that Mach 30 board members and volunteers have spent countless hours researching and discussing the value of open source in spaceflight. After all, open source development is one of Mach 30’s core values. It shows up in our mission statement and even has its own dedicated resource page on our website.
Open source spaceflight is also one of the key ways new volunteers come to find Mach 30. Such is the case with Matt Maier, an active voice in the Open Source Hardware movement. Matt first approached Mach 30 during his graduate studies in space operations having found us courtesy of Google. Matt’s research focus was on the potential for open source development to reduce the cost of space hardware as it has in other technical fields. For months Matt, Greg Moran (Mach 30’s vice president), and I emailed back and forth about open source spaceflight. And, this past spring Matt and I got to meet in person at the Open Source Hardware Doc Jam. Since then, Matt has joined Mach 30’s Export Control Task Force where he has made invaluable contributions.
Last month Matt was gracious enough to share the results of his graduate research with Mach 30 at an On Air Hangout on November 14, 2013. His presentation brought up a number of new and existing lines of discussion and is a great example of how important it is to bring fresh perspectives to the table. Check out the Hangout’s video below (jump to 5:10 for the start of Matt’s presentation or to 12:10 for the discussion after) or review the slides and his report linked at the bottom of the post.
Thanks, Matt for an excellent presentation and for all of your contributions to Mach 30!
ad astra per civitatem – to the stars through community
Related Links
- Mach 30’s Mission
- Open Source Hardware Resource Page
- Openalia (Matt’s OSHW Blog)
- Open Source Doc Jam
- Export Control Task Force
- Open Source Development: From Software to Space (report | slides)