1. The Do-It-Yourself Space Program Amateur Near Space Exploration

2. Topics Cost And Access To Space Near Space As An Alternative To Space

3. Cost And Access To Space Want To Send A Satellite Into Orbit? Building Costs Testing? Construction Time Launch Costs Telemetry Stations? It’s More Of A Barrier Than An Opportunity

4. Near Space As An Alternative To Space Look And Feel Of Near Space It’s Affordable It’s Quick Accessing Near Space Functioning In Near Space True Stories From The Near Space Files

5. What’s It Like In Near Space? < 5% Sea Level Pressure 0 to –40 degrees F >300 Mile To The Horizon Cosmic Ray Flux 150X Greater Than Sea Level Black Skies, Curved Horizon, and Primary Cosmic Rays - It Feels Like Space To Me!

6. Atmospheric Pressure Three Rules Of Thumb Changes By A Factor Of 3% Per 1000 Feet Changes By A Factor Of 50% Per 18,000 feet Changes By A Factor Of 90% Per 50,000 feet

7. Air Temperature Drops As You Climb Through The Troposphere Rises As You Climb Through The Stratosphere

8. The Near Space Horizon See The Entire State Spy On Neighboring States!

9. Cosmic Rays Primary Cosmic Rays Are Atoms From Stars Secondaries Created When Primaries Collide with Air Molecules Secondaries Further Reduced By The Atmosphere

10. Near Space Is Affordable $500 For A Basic Near Space Capsule $100 For Ground Support Equipment Local Amateur Radio Support (free!) $160 Per Launch (to 85,000 feet) Except For Balloon And Helium, It’s All Reusable

11. Near Space Is Quick Build A Capsule Within A Few Months Build Ground Support Equipment Within A Few Weeks Design Your Experiments Within ? Complete A Mission In Time For Lunch

12. Accessing Near Space Helium Filled Weather Balloons Recovery Parachutes Ascent Rates Of 300 To 1200 FPM Helium And The Parachute Keeps The Program Safe

13. Functioning In Near Space Inexpensive GPS Receiver Radio Modem Inexpensive HT APRS Basic Stamp Based Flight Computer (CC/PS) Hobby Servos MAX186 12 Bit ADC “AA” Batteries

14. Near Space Experiments Determine Cosmic Ray Flux (RM-60) Atmospheric Temperature Profile Wind Profile Remote Sensing The Earth Technology Tests Life Sciences Meteoric Dust Astronomy

15. Conclusion Is Near Space Right For You? Can You Afford The Initial Cost? Can You Sustain The Program? Get Your Technician’s License!

16. Near Space Websites www.the-one.com/tvnsp www.ksu.edu/humec/knsp www.eoss.org members.home.net/mconner1/nstar.html www.kcnet.com/~n3kkm/nearspace.html users.crosspaths.net/~wallio/records.html

17. Strange But True Stories From The Near Space Files!