HEADLINE: The Rise of Private Space Telescopes GUEST: Bob Zimmerman A startup called Blue Sky Space is launching nano-satellite telescopes into orbit to provide research data to universities. Using SpaceX rockets, the company deploys modest telescopes—s

HEADLINE: The Rise of Private Space Telescopes GUEST: Bob Zimmerman A startup called Blue Sky Space is launching nano-satellite telescopes into orbit to provide research data to universities. Using SpaceX rockets, the company deploys modest telescopes—some with mirrors as small as five inches—that allow institutions to purchase observation time for teaching and spectroscopy. This model represents a return to pre-World War II practices where private investors, rather than government agencies, funded major astronomical research. (12)
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