https://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Dgerson&feedformat=atomStanford SSI Wiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T10:53:38ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.35.0https://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2381History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T03:38:46Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on them.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Logo_idea.jpg|600px]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo. Though there was an option (that wasn't chosen) that showed a moon rover instead. Omar definitely wouldn't have chosen to put these things on the outside himself, but Gerson insisted.<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford space logo excavator.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford_space_logo-rover.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules). When that happened, we creatively changed things up to remove the Stanford S (we were too stubborn to change our name until later)<br />
<br />
[[File:Ssi logo without stanford.png|600px|]]<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good, but many never saw the light of day. We even tried to hold a logo competition where the winner would receive $100, but that didn't result in anything. Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[File:SSI logo 2.jpg|600px|]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today. It seems we did something right, because for the first time, a logo has lasted past a presidential transition.<br />
<br />
[[File:Current_logo.png|600px]]</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2380History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T03:32:43Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on it.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Logo_idea.jpg|600px]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo. Though there was an option (that wasn't chosen) that showed a moon rover instead.<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford space logo excavator.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford_space_logo-rover.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules). When that happened, we creatively changed things up to remove the Stanford S (we were too stubborn to change our name)<br />
<br />
[[File:Ssi logo without stanford.png|600px|]]<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good, but many never saw the light of day. We even tried to hold a logo competition where the winner would receive $100, but that didn't result in anything. Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[File:SSI logo 2.jpg|600px|]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today. It seems we did something right, because for the first time, a logo has lasted past a presidential transition.<br />
<br />
[[File:Current_logo.png|600px]]</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Current_logo.png&diff=2379File:Current logo.png2017-01-03T03:32:18Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2378History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T03:26:56Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on it.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Logo_idea.jpg|600px]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo. Though there was an option (that wasn't chosen) that showed a moon rover instead.<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford_space_logo-excavator.png|600px]]<br />
[[File:Stanford space logo-rover.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules). When that happened, we creatively changed things up to remove the Stanford S (we were too stubborn to change our name)<br />
<br />
[[File:Ssi logo without stanford.png|600px|]]<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good, but many never saw the light of day. We even tried to hold a logo competition where the winner would receive $100, but that didn't result in anything. Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[File:SSI logo 2.jpg|600px|]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today. It seems we did something right, because for the first time, a logo has lasted past a presidential transition.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Stanford_space_logo-rover.png&diff=2377File:Stanford space logo-rover.png2017-01-03T03:26:32Z<p>Dgerson: Dgerson uploaded a new version of File:Stanford space logo-rover.png</p>
<hr />
<div>Alterate version of the first SSI logo. It was not chosen.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Ssi_logo_without_stanford.png&diff=2376File:Ssi logo without stanford.png2017-01-03T03:26:10Z<p>Dgerson: Dgerson uploaded a new version of File:Ssi logo without stanford.png</p>
<hr />
<div>Next generation of the logo when we weren't allowed to use the Stanford S</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Stanford_space_logo_excavator.png&diff=2375File:Stanford space logo excavator.png2017-01-03T03:25:06Z<p>Dgerson: Dgerson uploaded a new version of File:Stanford space logo excavator.png</p>
<hr />
<div>First logo as put on the first SSI posters.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2374History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T03:23:27Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on it.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Logo_idea.jpg|600px]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo. Though there was an option (that wasn't chosen) that showed a moon rover instead.<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford_space_logo-excavator.png|600px] [[File:Stanford space logo-rover.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules). When that happened, we creatively changed things up to remove the Stanford S (we were too stubborn to change our name)<br />
<br />
[[File:Ssi logo without stanford.png|600px|]]<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good, but many never saw the light of day. We even tried to hold a logo competition where the winner would receive $100, but that didn't result in anything. Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[File:SSI logo 2.jpg|600px|]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today. It seems we did something right, because for the first time, a logo has lasted past a presidential transition.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2373History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T03:23:11Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on it.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Logo_idea.jpg|600px]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo. Though there was an option (that wasn't chosen) that showed a moon rover instead.<br />
<br />
[[File:Stanford_space_logo-excavator.png|600px] [[File:Stanford space logo-rover.png|600px]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules). When that happened, we creatively changed things up to remove the Stanford S (we were too stubborn to change our name)<br />
<br />
[[File:Ssi logo without stanford.png|600px|]]<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good, but many never saw the light of day. We even tried to hold a logo competition where the winner would receive $100, but that didn't result in anything. Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[SSI logo 2.jpg|600px|]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today. It seems we did something right, because for the first time, a logo has lasted past a presidential transition.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:SSI_logo_2.jpg&diff=2372File:SSI logo 2.jpg2017-01-03T03:17:54Z<p>Dgerson: Second generation of the official SSI logo</p>
<hr />
<div>Second generation of the official SSI logo</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Ssi_logo_without_stanford.png&diff=2371File:Ssi logo without stanford.png2017-01-03T03:17:23Z<p>Dgerson: Next generation of the logo when we weren't allowed to use the Stanford S</p>
<hr />
<div>Next generation of the logo when we weren't allowed to use the Stanford S</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Stanford_space_logo-rover.png&diff=2370File:Stanford space logo-rover.png2017-01-03T03:16:15Z<p>Dgerson: Alterate version of the first SSI logo. It was not chosen.</p>
<hr />
<div>Alterate version of the first SSI logo. It was not chosen.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Stanford_space_logo_excavator.png&diff=2369File:Stanford space logo excavator.png2017-01-03T03:14:38Z<p>Dgerson: First logo as put on the first SSI posters.</p>
<hr />
<div>First logo as put on the first SSI posters.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Logo_idea.jpg&diff=2368File:Logo idea.jpg2017-01-03T03:11:37Z<p>Dgerson: Original SSI logo idea as drawn</p>
<hr />
<div>Original SSI logo idea as drawn</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2367History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T03:10:48Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on it.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo:<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules). When that happened, we creatively changed things up:<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good, but many never saw the light of day. We even tried to hold a logo competition where the winner would receive $100, but that didn't result in anything. Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2366History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T02:55:01Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Many of you may wonder where the artistic, beautiful SSI logo came from. Well, here is that story. You may think that it improved with time, but really, the first logo was the best we ever had - except that some people just didn't quite see the beauty in it... that's probably why we have no shirts with it on it.<br />
<br />
The idea for a logo began in the spring of 2012 when SSI was just getting started and needed a logo for branding material that we were handing out about the group. David Gerson, the president of the time (full disclosure, I'm writing this article) had absolutely no artistic talent (or taste as will become apparent shortly) and so needed to outsource the idea. Kyle Anderson had made an image of a Stanford S with a rocket in the middle instead of a tree, so he was recruited to iterate on ideas and in Gerson's opinion, the best version was this - a Stanford S with a star in the middle with some stuff circling it (like the NASA meatball logo)<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
With no ability to turn this into something useable, Gerson sent this to a CS friend Omar Diab with instructions to make something space related and useable. Without much to go on, Omar leveraged the NASA meatball logo with a Stanford S in the middle. But Gerson wanted to make it clear that the group wasn't just about rockets, and so requested the addition of other things on the outside - because the other projects at the time were a PhoneSat and Lunabotics, the satellite and excavator were chosen which resulted in SSI's first official logo:<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
And yes, at the time our name was the Stanford Spaceflight Initiative. It would be months until we were forbidden from using Stanford in the name (we weren't an approved group) or using the Stanford S with a rocket in the middle (breaks branding rules).<br />
<br />
Despite it obviously being amazing, Robert Jackson and Ben Todd soon started a campaign to get a better logo. We went through many iterations of things to try and find something that looked good:<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
Eventually, Charlie Cox and Robert Jackson (second Co-Presidents of SSI) settled on a new version of the logo, which was actually a bit respectable:<br />
<br />
[[File:Example.jpg]]<br />
<br />
This served faithfully, until the next generation of SSIers decided it was too phallic and modified it slightly to result in the logo we have today.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_SSI_Logo&diff=2365History of the SSI Logo2017-01-03T02:45:00Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "hello world"</p>
<hr />
<div>hello world</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=SSI_Press&diff=1521SSI Press2016-02-17T05:12:39Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Check out some of the top news about SSI and its founding!<br />
<br />
[https://medium.com/stanford-select/countdown-c8a657779585#.t6jox1juf Stanford Journal Article on SSI], featuring an interview with former Co-President Charlex Cox, Stanford 2015 BS/2016 MS.<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/01/30/stanford-students-to-conduct-experiment-in-reduced-gravity/ Stanford Daily article on SSI's first Zero-G project], featuring an interview with former Co-President Paul Warren, Stanford 2017.<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/03/30/final_kj-student-space-initiative-triples-in-size-incorporates-new-research-areas/ Stanford Daily article on the growth of SSI] over its first two official years as a student group.<br />
<br />
[http://www.cnet.com/news/aiming-sky-high-in-global-balloon-challenge/ CNET article on SSI's participation] in the first ever Global Space Balloon Challenge<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/10/10/the-new-space-race/ Stanford Daily Op Ed on New Space] by former President and co-founder, David Gerson, Stanford 2014.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=SSI_Press&diff=1520SSI Press2016-02-17T05:12:16Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>Check out some of the top news about SSI and its founding!<br />
<br />
[https://medium.com/stanford-select/countdown-c8a657779585#.t6jox1juf Stanford Journal Article on SSI], featuring an interview with former Co-President Charlex Cox, Stanford 2015 BS/2016 MS:<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/01/30/stanford-students-to-conduct-experiment-in-reduced-gravity/ Stanford Daily article on SSI's first Zero-G project], featuring an interview with former Co-President Paul Warren, Stanford 2017.<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/03/30/final_kj-student-space-initiative-triples-in-size-incorporates-new-research-areas/ Stanford Daily article on the growth of SSI] over its first two official years as a student group.<br />
<br />
[http://www.cnet.com/news/aiming-sky-high-in-global-balloon-challenge/ CNET article on SSI's participation] in the first ever Global Space Balloon Challenge<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/10/10/the-new-space-race/ Stanford Daily Op Ed on New Space] by former President and co-founder, David Gerson, Stanford 2014.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=User:Dgerson&diff=1519User:Dgerson2016-02-17T05:11:35Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>David Gerson was a co-founder of SSI with Matt Daniels in 2012 and President from then until the end of 2013. He graduated Stanford with a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus in propulsion. He now works at SpaceX as an F9 Vehicle lead, fighting fires and helping to manager the Falcon program, SpaceX's rocket that they use to carry payloads into space. David got interested in space through space policy and has done many research projects on the topic, including at Stanford and in DC while at an internship at DARPA. While at Stanford, David also started the Global Space Balloon Challenge with some friends (including Lawrence Leung, Charlie Cox, and Robert Jackson - SSI alumni) - check out [https://balloonchallenge.org/ the website] for more information!</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Past_Event_Flyers&diff=1518Past Event Flyers2016-02-16T08:02:13Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
For some entertainment and history, check out flyers that were used for SSI events in the last several years!<br />
<br />
Look at that original logo!<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Arif.png|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: John_Cumbers_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: MIS_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Richard_David-NSG.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Pete_Worden_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Diamandis.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Adam_London_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Manu.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Ardusat_flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Close_lunch.png|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Pavone_lunch.png|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: File:Skybox Flyer.jpg|500px]]</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Past_Event_Flyers&diff=1517Past Event Flyers2016-02-16T08:01:51Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>For some entertainment and history, check out flyers that were used for SSI events in the last several years!<br />
<br />
Look at that original logo!<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Arif.png|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: John_Cumbers_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: MIS_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Richard_David-NSG.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Pete_Worden_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Diamandis.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
<br />
[[File: Adam_London_Flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Flyer_Manu.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Ardusat_flyer.jpg|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Close_lunch.png|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: Pavone_lunch.png|500px]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
<br />
[[File: File:Skybox Flyer.jpg|500px]]</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Past_Event_Flyers&diff=1516Past Event Flyers2016-02-16T07:58:20Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "For some entertainment and history, check out flyers that were used for SSI events in the last several years! Look at that original logo! 2012: File: Flyer_Arif.png 201..."</p>
<hr />
<div>For some entertainment and history, check out flyers that were used for SSI events in the last several years!<br />
<br />
Look at that original logo!<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: Flyer_Arif.png]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: John_Cumbers_Flyer.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: MIS_Flyer.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: Flyer_Richard_David-NSG.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: Pete_Worden_Flyer.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: Flyer_Diamandis.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2012:<br />
[[File: Adam_London_Flyer.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
[[File: Flyer_Manu.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
[[File: Ardusat_flyer.jpg]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
[[File: Close_lunch.png]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
[[File: Pavone_lunch.png]]<br />
<br />
2013:<br />
[[File: File:Skybox Flyer.jpg]]</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Adam_London_Flyer.jpg&diff=1515File:Adam London Flyer.jpg2016-02-16T07:57:08Z<p>Dgerson: Flyer for 2013 event with adam london</p>
<hr />
<div>Flyer for 2013 event with adam london</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Skybox_Flyer.jpg&diff=1514File:Skybox Flyer.jpg2016-02-16T07:55:10Z<p>Dgerson: Event flyer with skybox founders in 2013</p>
<hr />
<div>Event flyer with skybox founders in 2013</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Pavone_lunch.png&diff=1513File:Pavone lunch.png2016-02-16T07:54:29Z<p>Dgerson: Lunch with Prof marco pavone flyer</p>
<hr />
<div>Lunch with Prof marco pavone flyer</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Close_lunch.png&diff=1512File:Close lunch.png2016-02-16T07:54:03Z<p>Dgerson: flyer for lunch with prof sigrid close</p>
<hr />
<div>flyer for lunch with prof sigrid close</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Ardusat_flyer.jpg&diff=1511File:Ardusat flyer.jpg2016-02-16T07:53:00Z<p>Dgerson: Event flyer for ardusat in 2012 with Peter Platzer</p>
<hr />
<div>Event flyer for ardusat in 2012 with Peter Platzer</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Flyer_Diamandis.jpg&diff=1510File:Flyer Diamandis.jpg2016-02-16T07:52:17Z<p>Dgerson: Flyer for peter diamandis event 2012</p>
<hr />
<div>Flyer for peter diamandis event 2012</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Pete_Worden_Flyer.jpg&diff=1509File:Pete Worden Flyer.jpg2016-02-16T07:51:22Z<p>Dgerson: Event flyer for Pete Worden event</p>
<hr />
<div>Event flyer for Pete Worden event</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Flyer_Richard_David-NSG.jpg&diff=1508File:Flyer Richard David-NSG.jpg2016-02-16T07:49:54Z<p>Dgerson: 2012 event flyer for new space global</p>
<hr />
<div>2012 event flyer for new space global</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Flyer_Manu.jpg&diff=1507File:Flyer Manu.jpg2016-02-16T07:49:26Z<p>Dgerson: Event flyer for Manu Sharma in 2013</p>
<hr />
<div>Event flyer for Manu Sharma in 2013</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:MIS_Flyer.jpg&diff=1506File:MIS Flyer.jpg2016-02-16T07:48:09Z<p>Dgerson: Flyer for Made In Space Event in 2012</p>
<hr />
<div>Flyer for Made In Space Event in 2012</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:John_Cumbers_Flyer.jpg&diff=1505File:John Cumbers Flyer.jpg2016-02-16T07:47:15Z<p>Dgerson: Event Flyer for John Cumbers talk in 2012</p>
<hr />
<div>Event Flyer for John Cumbers talk in 2012</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=File:Flyer_Arif.png&diff=1504File:Flyer Arif.png2016-02-16T07:45:32Z<p>Dgerson: Event Flyer for Arif Karabeyoglu</p>
<hr />
<div>Event Flyer for Arif Karabeyoglu</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Adam_London_-_Ventions&diff=1503Adam London - Ventions2016-02-16T07:43:16Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations For more up to date information on Ventions, [http://ventions.com/ check out their website]. ''Originally posted on the first SSI website in 2012:''..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
<br />
For more up to date information on Ventions, [http://ventions.com/ check out their website].<br />
<br />
''Originally posted on the first SSI website in 2012:''<br />
<br />
On Tuesday December 4th, SSI was proud to host Adam London of Ventions, LLC for a presentation on their work to develop micro-thrusters through chemical etching and diffusion bonding. They hope to apply this technology to launch very small payloads into orbit, either as a second stage or as part of an air-launch system.<br />
<br />
Due to the increase in computing power and the resulting decrease in necessary electronics for areas such as Guidance, Control and Navigation, modern rocketry is able to operate with lighter loads and smaller vehicles. Ventions specializes in creating micro-thrusters capable of 100 to 5000 lbs of thrust using LOX or hydrogen peroxide liquid fuels for these smaller rockets. The thrusters have a complex system of cooling channels to increase efficiency, which is only possible and economical on such a small scale because they chemical etching the sheets of metal.<br />
Ventions has tested multiple versions of their thrusters to determine proper mixtures, flow rates, pressures, and many other factors. In their early testing there were many frustrations, as many of their thrusters were troubled with pressure imbalances. However, after many iterations they have created a working thruster that is capable of a 45 second burn with a c-star efficiency around 98%, certainly suitable for placing their 2 kg rocket into LEO.<br />
<br />
When asked how he has maintained a company around a product that takes so long to develop, Dr. London stressed two things. First, he pointed out the importance of iterative design and refining using testing and field set-ups rather than simply running computer simulations. Especially for something as complicated as rockets, the only way to work out the issues is by testing again and again and this has allowed them to make constant progress and impress their contractors. Dr. London also reiterated the importance of pursuing a project you are passionate about, because then you will do what it takes to make it work and be able to convince others of its importance.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Founder_Event_-_Skybox_Imaging&diff=1502Founder Event - Skybox Imaging2016-02-16T07:41:23Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations Skybox Imaging has since been acquired by Google for $500M. Its four founders were all Stanford graduates. ''Originally posted on SSI's first websit..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
<br />
Skybox Imaging has since been acquired by Google for $500M. Its four founders were all Stanford graduates.<br />
<br />
''Originally posted on SSI's first website in 2013:<br />
''<br />
<br />
The Student Spaceflight Initiative was proud to host Dan Berkenstock, Ching-Yu Hu, and Mike Trela, 3 of the first 5 people of Skybox Imaging on February 5. All alumni of Stanford, they described the critical role Stanford played in helping them start Skybox- it was where the founders and first employees met, the class MS&E 273 introduced them to advisers and other resources that helped them raise their initial funding. Dan was sure to emphasize that “Stanford Students are the natural resource” needed in the entrepreneurship field, since their technical backgrounds and experience give them the authenticity and Stanford provides the resources and references that entrepreneurs need to generate credibility. Speaking specifically to space entrepreneurship, Dan, Ching-Yu, and Mike discussed that two most important things in their mind were anchoring the company in a customer market of today and breaking the goals down into concrete milestones that can be achieved without huge sums of money.<br />
<br />
The idea behind Skybox Imaging is to create a constellation of small imaging satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide daily high-resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface. They seek to provide a platform of which the satellites are only a part - ground stations and personalized dishes among other things to make the collection and distribution of imagery easy and efficient. Already, they’re ground stations are being created and their first satellite- Skysat 1- has undergone all of its testing and is on track for launch this summer. Best of luck to the team and we hope that all goes well with upcoming launches!</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Peter_Diamandis_-_XPrize_and_Planetary_Resources&diff=1501Peter Diamandis - XPrize and Planetary Resources2016-02-16T07:37:46Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations Learn more about [http://www.xprize.org/ the Xprize here], [http://ansari.xprize.org/ the Ansari XPrize here], and [http://www.planetaryresources.com/..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
Learn more about [http://www.xprize.org/ the Xprize here], [http://ansari.xprize.org/ the Ansari XPrize here], and [http://www.planetaryresources.com/#home-intro Planetary Resources here].<br />
<br />
''Originally posted on SSI's first Website in 2012:''<br />
<br />
To cap off our most successful quarter yet, SSI hosted Peter Diamandis on Dec 4th to talk about his experiences with space entrepreneurship. Having started 16 companies, two thirds of them in the space, few know how difficult starting a space company can be as well as Peter. He reminded us of this very quickly by admitting that on average his companies have had 10-year startups, and not all of them have ever been successful. But Peter is so driven by his passion for space and so unwilling to take no as an answer, that he has constantly accomplished what others thought were impossible. The key, he points out, is understanding the position of others and then convincing them that helping you achieve your dream is actually in their best interest too- and quite often you have to go straight to the top to get anything done.<br />
<br />
Peter began with the story of Zero Gravity Corporation. When he started, NASA and the FAA both told him it was illegal. But Peter continued to push back until he’d convinced the FAA to change the regulations around zero-g flight and was able to operating weightless flights in 2004 after founding the company in 1993. The lesson here that Peter highlighted was that because he wanted to do something new that had never been done, people were afraid and said no. By working with them to understand their point of view and show them that he had a plan that fit with their values, he could convince those in charge to change their minds.<br />
<br />
Peter uses this same approach in the development of Planetary Resources, a company Peter co-founded to mine asteroids. Most think that asteroid mining is ridiculous, but Peter points out that actually crazier things have happened: the majority of the asteroids they’re aiming for are energetically easier to get to than the moon and oil companies invested $15B in the first deep offshore oil rigs that had a 10-25 year return on investment. What is needed to accomplish this is not a change in the laws of physics, but simply the construction of a phenomenal team that can build the technology, conversations with companies like Bechtel Corporation to help them see that this is no different than a long-term investment in resources, and meetings with NASA and the government to help them see that it’s in their best interest to change regulations around claiming and mining asteroids. Planetary Resources has already made incredible progress and give Peter’s words tremendous credibility. We were incredibly lucky to host him and wish him and Planetary the best- hopefully we’ll all be able to claim our own asteroid soon enough!</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Pete_Worden_-_Former_Director,_NASA_Ames&diff=1500Pete Worden - Former Director, NASA Ames2016-02-16T07:34:12Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations ''Originally posted on SSI's first website in 2012: '' On Thursday November 29 SSI and the Stanford chapter of AIAA were proud to host the current d..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
<br />
''Originally posted on SSI's first website in 2012:<br />
''<br />
<br />
On Thursday November 29 SSI and the Stanford chapter of AIAA were proud to host the current director of NASA Ames Pete Worden.<br />
<br />
Dr. Worden began his talk discussing the need and desire for human expansion into space, driven by human nature as well as the search for extra-terrestrial life. This is seen in the attention being given to Mars, Venus, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan as possible abodes of life and the excitement over the Kepler mission, which has been extremely successful in detecting thousands of distant planets, including ones deemed in the “habitable zone” that could potentially foster life.<br />
<br />
Dr. Worden then described how a paradigm shift is occurring in the field of space. Since Craig Venter sequenced the human genome and the field of synthetic biology has taken off, it will likely soon be possible to create life to match the environment we need them to live in. As 3D printing technology develops, it’s easy to imagine sending a DNA sequence to a machine on another planet and printing the bacteria or plants needed to pave the way for human exploration. And with the exponential growth in robotics, it is becoming possible to build more advance spacecraft and even human bases. In theory, as time goes on, we may even be able to start growing entire ships to perfectly match our needs.<br />
<br />
Dr. Worden then transitioned into a talk about the future role of NASA with space technologies and missions. The Ames center will be involved in setting up an infrastructure to help human settlement in the future- using cutting edge technology such as quantum computing and testing synthetic biology experiments on the International Space Station. Dr. Worden discussed his hope for and faith in private companies to take over missions to orbit and beyond and lower the cost of getting people to far out destinations. It then becomes NASA’s mission to focus on developing the new technologies necessary to survive in these environments and perform long-term colonization, echoing their NACA heritage. <br />
<br />
After a thorough and thought-provoking presentation, Dr. Worden answered multiple questions from students and told some anecdotes from his career at NASA such as the time he caused an uproar over an intergalactic war through his one and only tweet. He encouraged all students to push boundaries and to always look towards creating technologies for the future.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Richard_David_-_NewSpace_Global&diff=1499Richard David - NewSpace Global2016-02-16T07:32:44Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations Learn more about NewSpace Global on [http://newspaceglobal.com/ their website] ''Originally posted on SSI's first website in 2012:'' On Monday Octo..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
<br />
Learn more about NewSpace Global on [http://newspaceglobal.com/ their website]<br />
<br />
''Originally posted on SSI's first website in 2012:''<br />
<br />
On Monday October 22nd, the Student Spaceflight Initiative hosted Richard David, CEO and Co-founder of New Space Global, at Stanford. Mr. Richard eloquently discussed the burgeoning commercial space industry, known as New Space, his company’s role as the hub for financial information on New Space, and his belief of Stanford being, well, “the Stanford of New Space.”<br />
<br />
Growing up with an uncle who worked on Apollo, Mr. David quickly developed a fascination with space, but like many others, was disappointed by the state of the aerospace industry in the 1990s and instead joined the finance world as a lawyer. His fascination with space and new technology was rekindled with SpaceShipOne’s successful attempt at the Ansari X-prize in 2004. Many regard that flight as the start of New Space, a term used to describe private for-profit companies who are making serious efforts to utilize outer space. Excited with the New Space movement, Mr. David left his job to start New Space Global (NSG), a financial tracking firm based in New York dedicated to monitoring the top companies in New Space and satisfying the demand for information on this budding field.<br />
<br />
For Mr. David, the idea that New Space is the next big thing is a no brainer: 8 million people watched the Youtube video of the Red Bull Stratos launch, SpaceX became the first commercial company to resupply the International Space Station with the successful launch of its Dragon Capsule, and Blue Origin successfully tested their suborbital Crew Capsule escape system, all in the same month. “SpaceX,” he says, “has added over 1200 new jobs during one of the hardest economic climates in history” – a fact he states to the audience with enthusiasm. Coupled with the continued progress of companies like Virgin Galactic, XCOR, and Germany’s launch of human cancer cells on a Chinese launch last year, it’s clear that in-space manufacturing, microgravity research, and space tourism have huge market potential, with benefits and applications on Earth.<br />
<br />
And based on NSG’s research New Space has been growing steadily since 2004; however, it hasn’t taken off like a “hockey stick.” The reason, in Mr. David’s opinion, is the absence of institutional investment due to a lack of understanding surrounding the market and that’s where NSG comes in. NSG’s fundamental goal is to educate investors, government agencies, companies, universities, students, and more on the economic potential of New Space so that they not only want to support the field, but know how to do so. The company aims to accomplish these using three products: its indices, monthly Thruster report, and New Space Watch website. NSG tracks over 300 companies around the world and based on a refined 50 question algorithm, creates a list of the top companies in New Space (the NSG 100, PTC, RE, and OTB) based on proprietary information collected from its vast network- telling both job seekers and investors where the action is happening. The purpose of the monthly Thruster magazine is to provide industry insight through interviews with company executives and articles from around the world reporting on major events in New Space. And for the most up-to-date information, there’s New Space Watch, an information hub on all aspects of New Space – and as Mr. David said it best, “you won’t find computer animations here, only photos of hardware and people because we want readers to understand that New Space is real.” <br />
<br />
During his talk, Mr. David gave several pieces of advice to an audience of aspiring space entrepreneurs; build up to your big ideas incrementally, work with the Business school and the d.school and most importantly learn salesmanship. Mr. David pointed out that Elon Musk has worked on several successful companies before founding SpaceX and his experience building top management teams is as important as technical excellence; while on launch day all eyes are on the engineers, getting to that point required relentless salesmanship from the executives at SpaceX. Mr. David also emphasized that given Stanford’s location and background, an interdisciplinary group connecting alumni, students, and this burgeoning industry can become the hub that this growing industry needs. As Mr. David put it, “About 550 people have been to space- that’s bull… What we need is, well, a Stanford of New Space- and you’ve already got the name.”</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Jason_Dunn_-_Made_In_Space&diff=1498Jason Dunn - Made In Space2016-02-16T07:29:31Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations For more recent information on Made In Space and the first 3D printer ever sent to the International Space Station, see: [http://www.madeinspace.us/ t..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
For more recent information on Made In Space and the first 3D printer ever sent to the International Space Station, see: [http://www.madeinspace.us/ their website].<br />
<br />
''Originally published on the first SSI website in 2012:''<br />
<br />
On October 25th, the Student Spaceflight Initiative was proud to welcome to Stanford Jason Dunn, CTO and Co-founder of Made in Space (MIS), to speak about student space entrepreneurship and his vision for manufacturing in space starting with 3D printing technology.<br />
<br />
Jason began by describing how Gerard O’Neil questioned whether a planetary surface was the right place for an expanding technological civilization and postulated in his book, The High Frontier, that in fact orbiting space colonies were better options. Jason explained how O’Neil showed that initial colonies might be created with Space Shuttle technology in the 1980s and yet points out that despite the potential for such a project, we still lack a network of such colonies. Jason argued that the reason for this lack is that the physics of Earth’s gravity well makes it simply too expensive to reach orbit. Therefore, in Jason’s mind, what is required before such colonies and other advanced space systems exist is a paradigm shift to where “Everything in space is 'Made in Space.'”<br />
<br />
From this point, Jason co-founded Made in Space with the vision that 3D printing technology was the key to beginning in-space manufacturing. With a 3D printer in space, almost any shape could be printed on demand and at a very low cost. By combining the advantages of additive over subtractive manufacturing, the possibilities of manufacturing directly in microgravity, and the freedom of not having to withstand the extreme loads of launch, 3D printing in space would allow a vastly greater range of geometries and structures. Cost for these parts can be minimized since the rocket capacity can be completely utilized by raw stock material, minimizing launch costs. Moreover, Jason emphasizes, the parts can be created on demand without a new launch, simplifying mission planning since every single tool does not have to be foreseen and allowing decreased reliability and lifetime of certain parts since replacements can be made.<br />
<br />
To prove the potential for this technology, Made in Space tested their technology on hundreds of 20-second parabolic flights under a contract with NASA and showed that 3D printers can be modified to operate perfectly in microgravity. Additionally, MIS used the Apollo 13 story as a demonstration, designing and printing a solution for fitting the circular carbon dioxide scrubber into the square hole in less than a business day, compared to the many, many hours it took the NASA engineers to jerry rig a solution and teach it to the extremely tired and stressed astronauts when the event actually occurred. <br />
Jason stresses three aspects of the approach at MIS that he feels are essential for any aspiring young space start-up. First is their business model, which is to iterate quickly, fail early and often, and do it all with very little money. Second is that they are capitalizing on a technology with clear Earth applications, which provide a clear revenue stream when they need to start making real capital. Third is that they have immersed themselves in the growing commercial space community, where everyone needs everyone else to succeed, allowing them to get advice and support on all fronts. These three attributes have allowed MIS to be highly successful and given them the ability for their next great step, flying a 3D printer on the International Space Station in 2014-2015 under a paid contract with NASA and we wish them all the best on this next amazing project.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=John_Cumbers_-_Synthetic_Biology&diff=1497John Cumbers - Synthetic Biology2016-02-16T07:26:12Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category: Operations Originally posted on the first SSI website in 2013: To kick off winter quarter, SSI was proud to host Dr. John Cumbers from NASA Ames to discuss the..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category: Operations]]<br />
Originally posted on the first SSI website in 2013:<br />
<br />
To kick off winter quarter, SSI was proud to host Dr. John Cumbers from NASA Ames to discuss the potential of synthetic biology for space applications on January 10, 2013.<br />
<br />
Dr. Cumbers began by identifying the current issue for sustaining human life beyond Earth: the cost of launching resources into orbit and beyond. Currently with SpaceX’s goal of decreasing the cost of putting mass into orbit, the lowest cost possible for placing mass into orbit is about $5,000/kg. As Dr. Cumbers detailed all of the required inputs people, such as 0.84 kg of oxygen and 1.62 kg of drinking water per day, he estimates that is costs $27,000 per person per day in the International Space Station on food, drink, and breathing alone!<br />
<br />
To confront this issue, Dr. Cumbers has been looking into ways to apply synthetic biology to satisfy human needs in space at low cost. The idea of synthetic biology is to artificially insert DNA or genes into a cell or host of cells to perform a desired function- such as the way Refactory Materials uses the genes that allow spiders to spin silk in order to create a refined jacket for military use. <br />
<br />
The implications for synthetic biology for space exploration are huge. For any long-term stay away from Earth and its resources, the space crew simply needs to take water, some air, and basic materials for building cells and life. Then, when a need for a specific function or process comes along, the crew can simply “create” the DNA and life needed for the process and make the organism on site, rather than spending large amounts of money shipping the mass.<br />
<br />
With this, Dr. Cumbers also argued that the main need for the infrastructure of synthetic biology in space is going to be water and therefore a huge market would eventually exist for businesses to “ship” water to LEO and beyond for others to use. Dr. Cumbers suggested that to build this capability, the government should offer to pay for these services so that companies can generate revenue while the infrastructure is still being built. This plays into Dr. Cumbers’ vision that rather than sending all of these resources with people directly, the way forward is to create robotically operated synbio outposts that create the infrastructure and resources in remote locations now that future astronauts will need when they go there.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=Arif_Karabeyo%C4%9Flu_-_SPG,_Hybrid_Rockets&diff=1496Arif Karabeyoğlu - SPG, Hybrid Rockets2016-02-16T07:22:49Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Category:Operations Originally written after an SSI event in 2012: Learn more about the space propulsion group [http://www.spg-corp.com/ on their website] On November 8..."</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Operations]] <br />
Originally written after an SSI event in 2012:<br />
<br />
Learn more about the space propulsion group [http://www.spg-corp.com/ on their website]<br />
<br />
On November 8th, the Student Spaceflight Initiative was proud to sponsor a presentation by Dr. Arif Karabeyoglu, Consulting Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford, graduate of the AA PhD program, and CTO and Co-Founder of the Space Propulsion Group Inc. Arif’s expertise lies in hybrid rocket technology, the technology he believes will revolutionize the space field by solving the launch problem- achieving lower costs, increased safety, and bolstering reliability than either liquid or solid rockets can allow.<br />
<br />
Fundamentally, Arif explained, liquid and solid rockets are expensive simply due to the physical nature of the rocket motor. Even though solid rockets can be extremely compact due to the high density of the propellant, the performance of solid rockets is limited due to the lack of high performance oxidizers that are solids at room temperature. Additionally, since the fuel and oxidizer are premixed, any ignition source will cause complete combustion of the propellant which poses huge safety hazards during fabrication, transportation, launch, and abort and drives up cost. Liquid rockets can achieve much higher performance but are vastly more complex systems that: require a lot of maintenance since typically propellants are cryogenic, need turbopumps for the required mass flow rates and pressures are extremely difficult to manufacture, and must actively cool any materials that come in contact with the combusting propellant to keep it from melting. Moreover, while the fuel and oxidizer are not premixed, gas leaks can cause combustible mixtures that pose serious safety hazards and drive costs even higher.<br />
<br />
Hybrid rockets, on the other hand, avoid these problems. By using a liquid oxidizer and solid fuel, they can achieve performances similar to and even better than any liquid or solid engine. Since the fuel and oxidizer are in different states, it is much more difficult to cause undesired combustion of the propellant. Moreover, the system is extremely simple because no pumps or active cooling systems are required, only a valve between the oxidizer tank and combustion chamber that can be turned on or off to control combustion is necessary. The safer fabrication can be shown by the fact that the Space Propulsion Group is making 21-inch hybrid rocket motors in house as a very small company in Sunnyvale, CA - within city limits. Additionally, the very low fabrication costs mean that hybrid rocket motors can be tested numerous times at low cost in order to achieve a more reliable system. What this means is that hybrid rockets have the ability to be mass-produced more easily with the same performance, higher safety and reliability, and therefore lower costs, when compared to solid or liquid engines.<br />
<br />
Despite all of these benefits, there have historically been two major issues that have held back hybrid rocket technology: low regression rate fuels and major combustion instabilities. While these issues remain today, Arif and SPG are well on the way towards solving them. At Stanford in the 1990s, Arif discovered a new class of fuel, paraffin waxes, that had a regression rate five times higher than any other hybrid fuels. This rate allows the use of simple grain configurations necessary to achieve the performance and reliability large-scale systems require. Moreover, SPG has recently eliminated nearly all of the instabilities in their 10-inch motor and have shown that all of the technology is scaleable with their 21-inch motor. <br />
However, Arif emphasizes caution. Despite the success that SPG is having with a low budget, the technology is still under development and rockets are inherently dangerous. “When I push that button [to start combustion], I never fully know what is going to happen” is a common refrain among the rocket experts at Stanford- Arif included. While hybrids can be safer, if shortcuts are taken and people become complacent, people will die, as shown in the Scaled Composites accident that killed 3 people in 2010 when their oxidizer tank exploded during a cold flow.<br />
<br />
But nonetheless, Arif is quite optimistic. Completely focused on developing the technology, SPG has been progressing with SBIR grants from NASA, money from the Air Force, and help from the interactions and in-flux of talent from Stanford. When asked about tuning his company for marketability, Arif shrugs and says he isn’t really worried about that. He believes that SPG is the best hybrid rocket company in the world and that if anyone wants frequent, cheap launches, essential to space tourism or other increased activities in orbit, they will have to come to him eventually. For example, while in 2005 when Scaled Composites was looking for a hybrid motor, SPG wasn’t ready, but now in 2012, SPG’s rockets, though smaller, are scalable and have much higher performance and reliability than those used on SpaceShipTwo. Safety is paramount and there is work yet to be done, but listening to Arif, it’s hard not to believe, as he does, that it is only a matter of time.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=2012-2013_Year_in_Review&diff=14952012-2013 Year in Review2016-02-16T07:19:34Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Category:Archive]]<br />
Originally created in 2013:<br />
<br />
SSI became an official student group in 2013 and we’ve hit the ground running. Between February and December we’ve hosted 2 space entrepreneurship conferences, launched 20 small solid rockets, flown 2 balloons to 100,000ft, had a zero-g project accepted for flights in Houston, and brought 20 speakers to Stanford – from the NASA Ames Director to the President of SpaceX. <br />
<br />
And this is only our first year, our first events, and our first projects. If you count from our founding elections, it’s been 9 months. We’ve done all this while standing up a new organization and figuring out how to get funding. <br />
<br />
'''Highlights:'''<br />
*Became an official student group at Stanford in February 2013[?]<br />
*Held our first elections in April 2013<br />
*Hosted over 20 speakers, culminating with Gwynne Shotwell, the President of SpaceX, and Peter Diamandis, co-founder of multiple space start-ups, in Fall 2013. Over 250 students attended these events.<br />
*Kicked off our high altitude balloon, zero-g, rocket, satellite, and business groups<br />
*Successfully launched and recovered two High Altitude Balloons in Fall 2013<br />
*Had our zero-g proposal accepted by NASA Flight Opportunities Program for a flights out of Houston in April 2014<br />
*Hosted or helped coordinate two conferences on commercial space and space entrepreneurship<br />
*Our first interviews were published by several organizations, including Al Jazeera, New Space Global, and the Silicon Valley Business Journal<br />
*Helped several students get internships at SpaceX, Planet Labs, Planetary Resources, and NASA <br />
<br />
'''Specifics by Area:'''<br />
<br />
''Projects:''<br />
*High Altitude Balloons<br />
**Successfully launched two high altitude balloons to 100,000 ft and recovered them<br />
**Began planning Global Space Balloon Challenge for April 2014<br />
*Zero-g and Aeromedicine group<br />
**Had proposal for the “Analysis of the Effects of the Microgravity Environment on the Ease of Use and Viability of the hTEE Device [way to look at the heart in the ICU] and the Circulatory System” accepted by the Microgravity University Student Flight Opportunities Program for a flight in April 2014- submitted with Professor Marco Pavone and Dr. Peter Lee<br />
*Rockets<br />
**Launched 20 small solid rockets<br />
**Began designing a liquid rocket engine and attitude control system<br />
*Satellites<br />
**Helped Skybox Imaging Thermal Vacuum Test Skysat-1 at NASA Ames<br />
**Began working with Professor Andrew Kalman in the Space Systems Design Lab on SNAPS, an imaging CubeSat<br />
*Entrepreneurship<br />
**Began assembling a primer on current players in the commercial space industry<br />
**Held the first Space Startup Evening at Stanford<br />
**Hosted the Space Entrepreneurship Conference,<br />
*Keynote by Professor Scott Hubard<br />
*NewSpace Business Plan Competition with the Space Frontier Foundation<br />
*Afternoon panels on obstacles to space entrepreneurship, investing in space companies, and incubating space companies with speakers like Steve Jurvetson, Tom Atchison, Sean Casey, and many more<br />
**Helped with the SIEPR conference on commercial space<br />
**Session on applying innovative business models to space with Michaela Csik<br />
<br />
''Speakers (chronologically):''<br />
*Fall 2012<br />
**Richard David, CEO and co-founder, New Space Global<br />
**Jason Dunn, CTO and co-founder, Made In Space<br />
**Arif Karabeyoglu, President, CTO, ad co-founder, Space Propulsion Group Inc.<br />
**Garrett Reisman, DragonRider Program Manager, SpaceX<br />
**Adam London, CEO and co-founder Ventions LLC<br />
**Peter Worden, Director NASA Ames Research Center<br />
*Winter 2013<br />
**Peter Platzer, CEO and co-founder NanoSatisfi<br />
**Dan Berkenstock, Ching-Yu Hu, and Mike Trela, co-founders and first employee Skybox Imaging<br />
**John Cumbers, Synthetic Biologist at NASA Ames Research Center<br />
**Edwin Chu, Avionics Engineer, SpaceX<br />
*Spring 2013<br />
**Jim Kerevala, CEO and co-founder Shakelton Energy Corp.<br />
**Manu Sharma, co-founder Infinity Aerospace<br />
**Lynn Rothschild, Astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center<br />
**Peter Lee, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Stanford Hospital<br />
*Fall 2013<br />
**Gwynne Shotwell, President SpaceX<br />
**Loretta Whitesides, Lecturer ISU, Flight Director Zero-g Corp, Co-creator Yuri’s Night<br />
**Frank Mycroft, VP of Strategy, Planetary Resources<br />
**Richard David, CEO and co-founder, New Space Global<br />
**Jason Kessler, NASA Office of the Chief Technologist, Asteroid Initiative<br />
**Will Pomerantz, VP Special Projects, Virgin Galactic<br />
**Alistair Aaronson, Clinical Instructor and Hospitalist, Stanford Hospital<br />
**Peter Diamandis, CEO and co-founder Planetary Resources, X-Prize Foundation, etc.<br />
<br />
''Professor Lunch Series:''<br />
*Marco Pavone, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Brian Cantwell, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Sigrid Close, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Juan Alonso, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Scott Hubbard, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Debbie Senesky, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=2012-2013_Year_in_Review&diff=14932012-2013 Year in Review2016-02-16T07:17:33Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Originally created in 2013: SSI became an official student group in 2013 and we’ve hit the ground running. Between February and December we’ve hosted 2 space entrepreneur..."</p>
<hr />
<div>Originally created in 2013:<br />
<br />
SSI became an official student group in 2013 and we’ve hit the ground running. Between February and December we’ve hosted 2 space entrepreneurship conferences, launched 20 small solid rockets, flown 2 balloons to 100,000ft, had a zero-g project accepted for flights in Houston, and brought 20 speakers to Stanford – from the NASA Ames Director to the President of SpaceX. <br />
<br />
And this is only our first year, our first events, and our first projects. If you count from our founding elections, it’s been 9 months. We’ve done all this while standing up a new organization and figuring out how to get funding. <br />
<br />
'''Highlights:'''<br />
*Became an official student group at Stanford in February 2013[?]<br />
*Held our first elections in April 2013<br />
*Hosted over 20 speakers, culminating with Gwynne Shotwell, the President of SpaceX, and Peter Diamandis, co-founder of multiple space start-ups, in Fall 2013. Over 250 students attended these events.<br />
*Kicked off our high altitude balloon, zero-g, rocket, satellite, and business groups<br />
*Successfully launched and recovered two High Altitude Balloons in Fall 2013<br />
*Had our zero-g proposal accepted by NASA Flight Opportunities Program for a flights out of Houston in April 2014<br />
*Hosted or helped coordinate two conferences on commercial space and space entrepreneurship<br />
*Our first interviews were published by several organizations, including Al Jazeera, New Space Global, and the Silicon Valley Business Journal<br />
*Helped several students get internships at SpaceX, Planet Labs, Planetary Resources, and NASA <br />
<br />
'''Specifics by Area:'''<br />
<br />
''Projects:''<br />
*High Altitude Balloons<br />
**Successfully launched two high altitude balloons to 100,000 ft and recovered them<br />
**Began planning Global Space Balloon Challenge for April 2014<br />
*Zero-g and Aeromedicine group<br />
**Had proposal for the “Analysis of the Effects of the Microgravity Environment on the Ease of Use and Viability of the hTEE Device [way to look at the heart in the ICU] and the Circulatory System” accepted by the Microgravity University Student Flight Opportunities Program for a flight in April 2014- submitted with Professor Marco Pavone and Dr. Peter Lee<br />
*Rockets<br />
**Launched 20 small solid rockets<br />
**Began designing a liquid rocket engine and attitude control system<br />
*Satellites<br />
**Helped Skybox Imaging Thermal Vacuum Test Skysat-1 at NASA Ames<br />
**Began working with Professor Andrew Kalman in the Space Systems Design Lab on SNAPS, an imaging CubeSat<br />
*Entrepreneurship<br />
**Began assembling a primer on current players in the commercial space industry<br />
**Held the first Space Startup Evening at Stanford<br />
**Hosted the Space Entrepreneurship Conference,<br />
*Keynote by Professor Scott Hubard<br />
*NewSpace Business Plan Competition with the Space Frontier Foundation<br />
*Afternoon panels on obstacles to space entrepreneurship, investing in space companies, and incubating space companies with speakers like Steve Jurvetson, Tom Atchison, Sean Casey, and many more<br />
**Helped with the SIEPR conference on commercial space<br />
**Session on applying innovative business models to space with Michaela Csik<br />
<br />
''Speakers (chronologically):''<br />
*Fall 2012<br />
**Richard David, CEO and co-founder, New Space Global<br />
**Jason Dunn, CTO and co-founder, Made In Space<br />
**Arif Karabeyoglu, President, CTO, ad co-founder, Space Propulsion Group Inc.<br />
**Garrett Reisman, DragonRider Program Manager, SpaceX<br />
**Adam London, CEO and co-founder Ventions LLC<br />
**Peter Worden, Director NASA Ames Research Center<br />
*Winter 2013<br />
**Peter Platzer, CEO and co-founder NanoSatisfi<br />
**Dan Berkenstock, Ching-Yu Hu, and Mike Trela, co-founders and first employee Skybox Imaging<br />
**John Cumbers, Synthetic Biologist at NASA Ames Research Center<br />
**Edwin Chu, Avionics Engineer, SpaceX<br />
*Spring 2013<br />
**Jim Kerevala, CEO and co-founder Shakelton Energy Corp.<br />
**Manu Sharma, co-founder Infinity Aerospace<br />
**Lynn Rothschild, Astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center<br />
**Peter Lee, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Stanford Hospital<br />
*Fall 2013<br />
**Gwynne Shotwell, President SpaceX<br />
**Loretta Whitesides, Lecturer ISU, Flight Director Zero-g Corp, Co-creator Yuri’s Night<br />
**Frank Mycroft, VP of Strategy, Planetary Resources<br />
**Richard David, CEO and co-founder, New Space Global<br />
**Jason Kessler, NASA Office of the Chief Technologist, Asteroid Initiative<br />
**Will Pomerantz, VP Special Projects, Virgin Galactic<br />
**Alistair Aaronson, Clinical Instructor and Hospitalist, Stanford Hospital<br />
**Peter Diamandis, CEO and co-founder Planetary Resources, X-Prize Foundation, etc.<br />
<br />
''Professor Lunch Series:''<br />
*Marco Pavone, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Brian Cantwell, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Sigrid Close, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Juan Alonso, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Scott Hubbard, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering<br />
*Debbie Senesky, Professor Aero/Astro Engineering</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=SSI_Press&diff=1484SSI Press2016-02-16T06:54:51Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "Check out some of the top news about SSI and its founding! [https://medium.com/stanford-select/countdown-c8a657779585#.t6jox1juf Stanford Journal Article on SSI], featuring a..."</p>
<hr />
<div>Check out some of the top news about SSI and its founding!<br />
<br />
[https://medium.com/stanford-select/countdown-c8a657779585#.t6jox1juf Stanford Journal Article on SSI], featuring an interview with former Co-President Charlex Cox, Stanford 2015 BS/2016 MS:<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/01/30/stanford-students-to-conduct-experiment-in-reduced-gravity/ Stanford Daily article on SSI's first Zero-G project], featuring an interview with former Co-President Paul Warren, Stanford 2017.<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/03/30/final_kj-student-space-initiative-triples-in-size-incorporates-new-research-areas/ Stanford Daily article on the growth of SSI] over its first two official years as a student group.<br />
<br />
[http://www.cnet.com/news/aiming-sky-high-in-global-balloon-challenge/ CNET article on SSI's participation] in the first ever Global Space Balloon Challenge<br />
<br />
[http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/10/10/the-new-space-race/ Stanford Daily Op Ed on New Space] by former President co-founder, David Gerson, Stanford 2014.</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=User:Dgerson&diff=1479User:Dgerson2016-02-16T06:41:30Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>David Gerson was a co-founder of SSI with Matt Daniels in 2012 and President from then until the end of 2013. He graduated Stanford with a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus in propulsion. He now works at SpaceX as an F9 Vehicle lead, fighting fires and helping to manager the Falcon program, SpaceX's rocket that they use to carry payloads into space. David got interested in space through space policy and has done many research projects on the topic, including at Stanford and in DC while at an internship at DARPA. While at Stanford, David also started the Global Space Balloon Challenge with some friends - check out [https://balloonchallenge.org/ the website] for more information!</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=User:Dgerson&diff=1478User:Dgerson2016-02-16T06:40:50Z<p>Dgerson: </p>
<hr />
<div>David Gerson was a co-founder of SSI with Matt Daniels in 2012 and President from then until the end of 2013. He graduated Stanford with a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus in propulsion. He now works at SpaceX as an F9 Vehicle lead, fighting fires and helping to manager the Falcon program, SpaceX's rocket that they use to carry payloads into space. David got interested in space through space policy and has done many research projects on the topic, including at Stanford and in DC while at an internship at DARPA. While at Stanford, David also started the Global Space Balloon Challenge with some friends - check out balloonchallenge.org for more information!</div>Dgersonhttps://ssi-wiki.stanford.edu/w/index.php?title=User:Dgerson&diff=1477User:Dgerson2016-02-16T06:39:13Z<p>Dgerson: Created page with "David Gerson was a co-founder of SSI with Matt Daniels in 2012 and President from then until the end of 2013. He graduated Stanford with a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering,..."</p>
<hr />
<div>David Gerson was a co-founder of SSI with Matt Daniels in 2012 and President from then until the end of 2013. He graduated Stanford with a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus in propulsion. He now works at SpaceX as an F9 Vehicle lead, fighting fires and helping to manager the Falcon program, SpaceX's rocket that they use to carry payloads into space. David got interested in space through space policy and has done many research projects on the topic, including at Stanford and in DC while at an internship at DARPA.</div>Dgerson