Amateur Radio Learning Resources

 NearSpace Education, founded in 2020, is an Indiana-based nonprofit dedicated to giving students real, hands-on STEM experiences using authentic space and aerospace technology. Emerging from its connection to NearSpace Launch a CubeSat manufacturer with a proven flight heritage since 2014, over 100 satellites, 900+ subsystems deployed, and a 100% mission success rate NearSpace Education brings cutting-edge innovation into the classroom. Through space camps, aerospace clubs, the nationwide Dream Big Program, and ongoing curriculum development, their mission is to inspire, equip, and impact the next generation of STEM learners. 

The Dream Big Project by NearSpace Education is a hands-on space education program designed to give students real experience with real missions from coding and testing to launching hardware into orbit. Built around a new generation of 0.5U ThinSat CubeSats developed in partnership with NearSpace Launch, the program expands payload capacity and opens the door for more students to participate in space-based experimentation than ever before.

In Phase 1 NearSpace Education partnered with six tri-state colleges and universities to expose students to advanced manufacturing, emerging technologies, and space entrepreneurship. These early missions will culminate in a launch aboard Falcon 9 through SpaceX’s Transporter rideshare program, sending student-connected payloads into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Phase 2 expands the experience across Indiana through the Dream Big: STEPS to Space program (Scalable Testing of Electronics and Programming by Students). Over three years, up to 900 middle school students will take part in the full lifecycle of a satellite mission. They begin by learning programming using NASA-aligned curriculum and Micro:bit platforms, then design experiments tied to real space missions. From there, students test their hardware on high-altitude balloon launches reaching the edge of space, participate in flight selection, and ultimately have the opportunity to see their code and hardware launched into Low Earth Orbit aboard a CubeSat mission. The experience continues after launch, as students track data, analyze results, and present their findings—mirroring the work of real aerospace teams.

A key part of the program is its reach into communities. Through partnerships with organizations like Science Central, STARBASE Indiana, the Indiana State Museum, Terre Haute Children's Museum, and Angel Mounds State Historic Site, Dream Big brings high-altitude launches and public STEM events directly to students and families across the state.

Looking ahead, Phase 3 takes the program nationwide. The vision is ambitious: launch 150 high-altitude balloons, deploy 50 spacecraft—one representing each state—and impact more than one million students. By removing traditional barriers and giving students direct access to real aerospace experiences, the Dream Big Project is helping shape the next generation of innovators, explorers, and problem-solvers.

 SatNOGS is a global, open-source network of satellite ground stations built by everyday people who want to explore space from right here on Earth. Designed to observe and receive signals from low earth orbit (LEO) satellites including CubeSats and even the International Space Station. SatNOGS turns curiosity into capability by giving individuals the tools to track, capture, and share real satellite data.

The project began in 2014 during a NASA Space Apps Challenge hackathon in Athens, Greece. What started as a small collaborative effort quickly grew into something much larger, eventually leading to the creation of the Libre Space Foundation and a worldwide community of builders, operators, and contributors. Today, SatNOGS represents a new way to participate in space exploration—open, accessible, and driven by people who simply want to learn and experiment.

At its core, SatNOGS is about making space more approachable. Ground stations can be built using readily available materials, with many designs relying on 3D printing, basic tools, and affordable components. A typical station can be assembled for a few hundred dollars, and even existing amateur radio setups can be integrated into the network with minimal cost. This lowers the barrier to entry and allows more people to take part in something that once required significant resources.

Once connected, a SatNOGS station becomes part of a larger network. Operators can schedule satellite passes, receive telemetry and scientific data, and automatically upload their observations for others to access. These signals can include everything from satellite health status to experimental payload data and weather information. The system is built using open-source technologies, including platforms like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Python-based software, making it both flexible and constantly evolving.

What makes SatNOGS especially powerful is its connection to community. Stations are spread across the world, each contributing a small piece to a much larger picture. When one station can’t see a satellite, another might. Together, they create a continuous stream of shared data, collaboration, and discovery.

SatNOGS isn’t just about receiving signals, it’s about participating in space in a real and meaningful way. Whether you’re building your first ground station, integrating existing equipment, or simply exploring what’s possible, SatNOGS opens the door to a hands-on experience that blends amateur radio, engineering, and global collaboration.

It’s a reminder that space isn’t as far away as it seems, you just need the right tools, a bit of curiosity, and a willingness to try.