Southern Stars, the leading provider of mobile applications for amateur astronomy, announces today that it will launch the first ever personal, interactive satellite into orbit. SkyCube will allow everyone, all over the world, to participate in its launch, “tweet” messages, and obtain pictures of the earth from space. nn”We want to create a space exploration mission that everyone can be a part of,” states Tim DeBenedictis, Southern Stars Founder. “We are developing a nano-satellite, and mobile apps to go with it, as the focus for a global education and public outreach campaign.” The satellite is a 10x10x10 cm “1U” CubeSat intended for launch as a secondary payload on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2013. Orbiting more than 300 miles up, on a path highly inclined to the earth’s equator, SkyCube will pass over most of the world’s inhabited regions.nnSkyCube will take low-resolution pictures of the earth and broadcast simple messages uploaded by sponsors. After 90 days, it will inflate a 10-foot (3-meter) diameter balloon. SkyCube‘s balloon will make the satellite as bright as the Hubble Space Telescope or a first-magnitude star. “You’ll be able to see it with your own eyes, sailing across the sky,” explains DeBenedictis. But SkyCube‘s balloon isn’t just for visibility. It will – within 3 weeks – bring SkyCube down from orbit due to atmospheric drag, ending the mission cleanly in a fiery "grand finale" that avoids any buildup of space debris.nnSkyCube will also send out a data pings every ten seconds. This will allow subscribers to broadcast messages or “tweet from space.” Each message is 120 characters in length. “You will be able tweet your wife from space to let her know you will be late for dinner,” jokes DeBenedictis.nnnnSouthern Stars is using Kickstarter (www.skycube.org) to allow millions of people worldwide to be a part of democratized space exploration. The SkyCube mobile app will be available on the iTunes Store, Google Play, and on any web browser. The basic sponsorship to participate in the mission is $1, which will allow the sponsor to tweet one message from space. nnThere are several tiers of sponsorship available with the SkyCube Mission that people can choose from. Packages range from sending messages and getting pictures to viewing the launch live and actually commanding SkyCube for a day in space. Additionally, corporate sponsorships are available that include a logo on the inflatable balloon. nnSouthern Stars has already pioneered applications for astronomy with its SkySafari apps, and has changed the way people view the night sky. “Apps let people interact in a very personal way with a powerful computer that they have on them all the time,” says DeBenedictis. “The concept of picking up a smart phone and getting pictures from space is novel. It isn’t the same as watching it on TV or reading about it.”nnAbout Southern StarsnSouthern Stars Group, LLC is headquartered in San Francisco. The company’s mission is to help people tap into their natural curiosity about the cosmos, via their mobile devices they use every day. Southern Stars has a long history in the astronomy software business. The company has been developing planetarium software since 1993. www.southernstars.com
Jay Hopkins The PR Spin, INC Contact Jay via email 323.993.5957
Living Legends George Noory and George Knapp To Appear Together Onstage at Contact In The Desert 2025
George Noory and George Knapp will be appearing together on stage at The Contact In The Desert Conference (CITD) event, which will take place May 29th – June 2nd, 2025, at the beautiful Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, CA. The conference, with the theme Event Horizon, will feature over 120 lectures, workshops, intensives and panels presented by the world’s most prestigious experts in the fields of UFO/UAP, Government Disclosure, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Science, Ancient Civilizations, Space Exploration, Future of Technology and Space Travel, Non-human Intelligence, Spirituality, and more. Broadcasting legends George Noory and George Knapp will appear together live, on stage, for only the second time, ever, on SATURDAY MAY 31, 2025 Tickets for CITD 2025 are now available: CLICK HERE “One of the highlights of last year’s show was certainly the first-ever appearance of both George Noory and George Knapp at the same place at the same time at our conference,” said CITD Executive Producer Ron Janix. “These are the two most iconic broadcasters in America working towards Disclosure of the UAP/ET phenomenon. We’re thrilled they’ve decided to return once again to our stage this summer. Our attendees are in for a real treat!” About GEORGE NOORY George Noory, host of the nationally syndicated radio program, Coast to Coast AM, says if he weren’t a national radio talk show host, he’d be in politics. Heard by millions of listeners, Coast to Coast AM airs on approx. 564 stations in the U.S., Canada, Mexica and Guam. While hosting The... Read More