Carnegie Mellon SEDS

SpaceVision 2011

November 13th, 2011

This year, SEDS-CMU had the opportunity to send 3 members to the SpaceVision Conference at the University of Colorado in Boulder. SpaceVision is the national conference for SEDS membes held every year by a different chapter. This year, CU-SEDS held a conference with record attendance with a them focusing on the interrelationship between the engineering, science, entrepreneurship, and policy components of space. President Kayla Aloyo, Vice President Hahna Alexander, and Treasurer David Isenberg flew to Colorado in hopes of gaining knowledge about SEDS and uniting with other students and professionals under a common interest. The students were able to see Bill Nye, the Executive Director of The Planetary Society, speak about the importance of space exploration. Also, the students attended different seminars on commercial crew transportation, robotic exploration, suborbital spaceflight, department of defense space activities, space entrepreneurship, space project management and leadership, and space policy.

If you are interested in attending SpaceVision 2012 at the University of Buffalo, please email your interest to seds@andrew.cmu.edu.

CMU SEDS applies to Microgravity University

October 26th, 2011

Mercury Astronauts on the Vomit Comet (1959)

Carnegie Mellon SEDS has submitted a project proposal to NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. The winning submissions in this program will get the opportunity to perform a custom research project in simulated low gravity aboard the Weightless Wonder!

For more information, please see the Microgravity project page.

Announcing the Near Space Balloon Initiative

March 20th, 2011

Join Carnegie Mellon SEDS in their first chapter project! Break out of the classroom to solve real problems and learn the basics of practical engineering. In this venture, you will help build mechanical and electrical components of a high altitude sounding balloon. Participants will receive the artistic satisfaction of creating dramatic photos of space.

For more information, please see the Involvement page.

Double SRBs... All the Way Across the Sky!

February 24th, 2011

With only seconds left to fly within the 10 minute launch window, Space Shuttle controllers worked furiously to resolve a range issue. The range safety system was flagging a no-go situation. However, this did not worry the thousands of ignorant viewers who had the fullest confidence in American engineering prowess. At 4:53pm, STS-133 roared into the evening sky, tasked to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the ISS. As a note to our future STS-134 launch viewers, plan on sitting in 3.5 hours of traffic if you are trying to reach I-95 from KSC.

SEDS Meeting Feb. 8th at 5:30pm

February 5th, 2011

Do not forget to attend the initial SEDS meeting! You will be given the opportunity to talk with top CMU-SEDS executives to discuss your vision of this chapter. The meeting will be held at February 8th at 5:30 pm in the ustairs room next to the swimming pool in the UC.

Propulsion Academy Reunion

Successful Testing of Hybrid Rocket

January 14th, 2011

SEDS member, Matthew Kuhn, had a successful static firing of his home built hybrid rocket. Being propelled by PVC pipe and Nitrous Oxide, the motor produced a total impulse of 44 N-s, barely classifying it as an F motor. The rocket, billowing out more smoke than an Amsterdam coffee shop, had an average thrust of 5 lbf. For more information, please contact Matthew Kuhn.

CMU SEDS visits Local middle school

January 14th, 2011

"Who wants to be a rocket scientist?!?"
"Carnegie Mellon Students traveled to Miss Kuhn’s 6th grade class, allowing the students to become rocket scientists for the day. Before making their own rockets, the students became masters of Newton’s Third Law by taking turns pushing the teacher. They learned how this was similar to air escaping a balloon, and how it was able to propel the balloon across the room. Once this phenomenon was well understood, each student made their own water - alka seltzer rockets. The class ended with a fun competition in which NASA stickers and water bottles were prizes!"

SpaceX Tech Talk and Briefing

January 12th, 2011

Come Listen to Dr. Andrew Howard and Ken Bowersox of SpaceX discuss re-entry of the first operational Dragon Spacecraft. Their discussion will take place Wednesday January 12th at 5pm in the Singleton Room. SpaceX is a US based rocket company founded by Elon Musk the former co-founder of PayPal. Musk is currently the residing CEO and CTO at SpaceX and also the Chief Product Architect and CEO of Tesla Motors. SpaceX builds rockets from the ground up; including electronics, software, vehicle structures, and engines.

SEDS Chapter Re-Opens At CMU

January 10th, 2011

During the final day of the 2010 SEDS-USA SpaceVision conference at the University of Illinois, representatives Matthew Kuhn and Kayla Aloyo voted to reinstate Carnegie Mellon University's Chapter of SEDS. Benefits of space travel are infinite; however, these benefits are not very well known by the general public. Both students look forward to educating and inspiring their alma mater.

Nothing Says Merry Christmas like a Lunar Eclipse

December 21st, 2010

It was 2:30 am on a Tuesday night. Correspondents Matthew Kuhn and Georgiy Baramidze typically update each other on the party scene after bars close for the evening. However, this night their conversation was dominated by the appearance of a full lunar eclipse. Georgiy recalled the last time a complete lunar eclipse happened during a winter solstice was in 1638. Fellow space enthusiasts Marianna Sofman and Kartik Jevaji expressed their elations by texting half of their phone contacts.

Propulsion Academy visits KSC

November 3rd, 2010