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?

¯\_(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

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
          

Questions?