you read that right.
MANMADE. SATELLITE.
not only did the south korean native successfully launch something into space, a triumph that has only ever been accomplished by either the government or military, he made the satellite by himself without the modern luxuries of computers or machines. he even made the instructions available to the public so that anyone can build and operate a satellite of their own.
his global orbiting device, or GOD, is the first comsat designed and financed by a private citizen to reach orbit. this masterpiece of diy engineering contains a solar cell, a lithium-ion battery (the kind you can find in your cellphone), a modified arduino board that can withstand cosmic rays, and four led lights that are powerful enough to be seen from earth. to communicate with GOD, Hojun uses a communication device that transmits morse code messages that are visible to an entire hemisphere.
by now, you’re probably wondering how he managed to pay for this project. Hojung raised the nearly 10,000 euros by selling t-shirts. compared to NASA’s budgets, this is like someone selling lemonade at 25 cents a cup to buy a house.
the goal of his open source satellite initiative is to empower and inspire the individual to develop a private connection with the universe. the success of this diy satellite project proves that the cosmos are available to everyone, not just large institutions. surpassing the barriers to enter the cosmos is no longer a fantasy. space is not as distant as we think.
so what are you waiting for?
