7

LENS

T

hat’s the plan, at least. But in practice,

a 3D-printed space telescope, no matter

how much cheaper it is than established

hardware, is never going to be built

unless people on the ground have the

skills to build them. To solve this

problem, the Open Space Agency has also developed

the STEMcase, an open-source portable makerspace,

designed to facilitate the growth of maker skills in the

developing world back down on planet Earth. Mariéme

Eve Jamme, CEO of SpotOne Global Solutions, is a

strong advocate of improving STEM-related educational

policies in Africa by utilising the maker movement. She

strongly believes in supporting initiatives that channel

incoming foreign aid and investment into the right

educational programs to upskill the youth, as the vast

amount of STEM-related job opportunities in Africa are

currently being outsourced. She views the STEMcase

as one such possible solution.

The STEMcase consists of a set of two dust-,

water-, and shock-proof Peli cases designed to deliver

STEM education to remote locations. The complete kit

includes a fully equipped electronics prototyping bench,

a low-cost and repairable Raspberry Pi-based laptop, a

100% recycled filament extruder, and an open-source

Prusa i3 MK2 3D printer, which is considered by the

3D Hubs community to be the best low-cost desktop

3D printer currently available. The final part of the kit is

an open-source SatNOGS ground station, which

provides essential satellite communications to

remote locations.

SatNOGS provides the plans to build satellite

tracking stations, and a protocol and framework to

share the satellite data with those that cannot afford

or lack the skills to develop their own tracking

station. The SatNOGS hardware consists of readily

available materials, off-the-shelf components, and

3D-printed parts.

The Open Space Agency believes that the argument

for STEM is not just an economic one; the

democratisation of technical skills will aid everything

from climate change to the control of epidemics.

OPPORTUNITY TO ACT ON IDEAS

The STEMcase comes with a syllabus designed to help

educators focus on stimulating interest in STEM

development within the local community. The idea is to

work directly with keen locals to eventually take OSA

out of the loop entirely, leaving a self-sufficient

makerspace ready to propagate ongoing maker activity

in a developing area.

“By guiding the flow of [overseas aid] to projects

and initiatives that will allow the recipient country to

flourish, they will be the creators of their own

independence, be it economic, social, or health-

related,” says James. “The educational aspect that

comes with the STEMcase is just as important as the

capabilities of the case itself.” You can find out more

about the STEMcase at hsmag.cc/bSQyQL.

Above

The Ultrascope –

celestial photography

from home

Credit

Open Space Agency

(CC-BY-SA_

Below

Print an Ultrascope and

join the community

AN OPEN-SOURCE PORTABLE

MAKERSPACE FOR THE

DEVELOPING WORLD