midi

Mercury-bound space craft, adding MIDI to everyday objects, and the software running ludicrously-complicated automated painting machines. Dorkbot DC doesn't fail to bring interesting stuff. Tom and I had a great time seeing these projects.

It started off with a talk about the MESSENGER probe. Katie Bechtold is a software developer who works on the X-Ray Spectrometer, some other sensors I can't remember the name of, and some day to day behind-the-wheel space probe driving. She brought along a 1/10 scale model of the probe and did her best to point out where the various sensors and crucial parts are. The model was probably two feet tall, if you want an idea of how big it is.

Her explanation of everything was great for those lacking a background in astrophysics (hint: me). I won't say much about the actual workings of the probe, as I don't think it's appropriate to do so until Echoditto is in the business of slinging extremely complicated computers off to distant planets. Here's what was really neat to me:

I really liked that movie Sunshine. Mercury is pretty darn close to the sun, and MESSENGER has to be protected from it at all times. That means there's a big sunshade the majority of the craft lives behind. It isn't even to Mercury yet and it already hits 700 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface of the shade! Bonkers.