JavaScript in Space

Or, There and Back Again

Dan Harden - @dharden

  • Kickstarting your own space program
  • Explosions
  • Delicious, delicious failure
  • Ham radio
  • JavaScript

SPACE IS SO COOL

High-altitude ballooning

  • Balloons released into the stratosphere
  • Launched into "near space"
  • Equipped with sensors, cameras, etc.

Hackathon

The Plan

  • We want to send a balloon really really high
  • We want to collect some data
  • We want to get it back

The Problems

  • How do we get up there?
  • How do we get data?
  • How the heck do we find it?

How do we get up there?

It's a balloon, you just kind of let it go

SOLVED

How do we get data?

Maybe just strap a GoPro to it?

Sub-problem: what is the terminal velocity of a GoPro?

How do we get it back?

Maybe just strap a hiking GPS to it?

balloon

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Well, now we have some time.

LET'S GET HAM RADIO LICENSES

Sidequest: How do we you get a ham radio licenses?

  • The entry level license is called Technician
  • You have to pass a 35-question multiple-choice test
  • ????
  • Maybe buy a ham radio?

Project Nyanpollo

https://github.com/makenai/nyanpollo
Johnny-Five
welcome to earf
http://makenai.net/nyanpollo-player/
rover nyan

What did we learn?

  • Failure can be a good thing
  • You can use JavaScript for all kinds of crazy shit
  • Space is closer than ever!
  • The world is not flat

Thank you!

<3, @dharden


shoutouts (may or may not be actual handles)
@smartlola
@dendro - @e$ - @jowyong - @bchatla
@thaiwoodhere - @makenai - @debugish
@aki - @jennschiffer - @bkirkby - @revealjs - @wikipedia
floating effect by @djsbaker
v2

Questions?

v2