This Couple 3D Printed Telescope And Lumia 1020 Will Take You To Space

“The most important thing we can do is to inspire young minds and to advance the kind of science, math and technology education that will help youngsters take us to the next phase of space travel.” – John Glenn

Like many young stargazers, James Parr was ten years old when he first had fantasies of going to space. Thirty years later, the stars have aligned and James is finally realizing his dream. Working with Microsoft and the biggest names in space exploration, James has created his first-ever 3D-printed automated robotic observatory and equipped a Lumia 1020 smartphone as its brains behind. The telescope is called Ultrascope, which has the potential to completely reinvent astrophotography, making it possible to capture professional-grade celestial images, right from your back garden, for a fraction of the price of traditional space telescopes.

The Ultrascope stands 39 inches tall when pointed vertically and about 26 inches wide at the base. Using a connected Windows computer, specialized software and an Arduino board connected to a motor, it’s more like a mini-observatory, moving around from one celestial object to the next. All of these objects can be digitally captured by the 41-megapixel Pureview camera on a Lumia 1020, where they can be viewed in a high-resolution zooming mode.

“We live in an era where consumer technology now allows us to do things that were only exclusively available to professionals just a few year ago. Keen amateur astronomers can now download this design and software, 3D print and assemble their own hardware, which is an amazing development. It opens up opportunities for people who have been gazing at the stars for their whole lives, but haven’t, until now, been able to get involved. Powered by Lumia smartphones, our hope is that hundreds of Ultrascopes will be assembled, enabling a large number of people to contribute to new discoveries as they explore the night sky,” said James.

The Ultrascope is currently in Beta testing and 3D plans will be downloadable from the OSA (Open Space Agency)’s website, which can be 3D printed laser-cut and assembled at home. Over the next 12-18 months, increasingly sophisticated models will be released. Microsoft is currently helping OSA to create an application, which will enable the Lumia to be connected with the telescope.

This video gives you a brief of the project:

“A child’s dream of a star” is my most favorite Charles Dickens’ book when I was a kid. That dream is still resurgent even now. Share your comments with us.