[Space] hackerspaces in space challenge

[Eric Boyd]

http://www.heatsynclabs.org/california-eclipses-the-sky-the-space-race-begins-now/

I just have to excerpt the whole thing, because it's so awesome:

<<
California Eclipses the Sky; The Space Race Begins Now!

My fellow desert creatures, for a few gripping minutes, a new moon rose 
over the skies of the People's Republic of  California to do what all 
things Californian do and look down on everything else. A near-space 
weather balloon devised at the clandestine* Noisebridge hackerspace 
reached the edge of space, bringing back pics because it did happen.

This may seem like a playful act of sportsmanship, launched in 
preparation for Workshop 88's Annual Space Blimp Contest and for teh 
lulz, but be warned!  This show of one-up-ness is but the first of a new 
arsenal of Californian space power, no doubt a scheme from the office of 
Premier Schwarzenegger himself to accelerate the neo-colonization of our 
beloved Grand Canyon State.  Will the next spacecraft stay confined to 
Californian skies?  Or will it ascend to the Final Frontier only to 
descend south and east, bringing with it unknown terrors?  Will our 
children, pets, or stray javelinas and jackrabbits who tear up our 
prickly gardens be safe from this invasion from above?  I dare not ask 
that question--but I will dare;  I will dare our own hackerspace, 
newborn babe it may be, to pull together its resources and Sonoran 
ingenuity to build its own craft to add a copper star to their western 
skyline.

We must unite, for all our shared culture is at stake;  The polygamy of 
Mojave county, ghosts of Jerome, power crystals of Sedona, trailer parks 
of East Mesa, valium-vodka cocktails of Scottsdale, 
hot-dogs-with-bacon-around-them of Tucson, and yes, the light roasted 
coffee of Tempe, all face the specter of San Francisco's dominion. 
Ready your will, your skills, and visit our Nearspace Balloon wiki page 
to see how you can contribute in our effort to boldly go where no 
Arizona hackerspace has gone before!
 >>

Apparently 9 other hackerspaces have already taken up the challenge. 
Spacebridge has made a huge splash!

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/hackerspaces_in_space_annual_space.html

http://www.workshop88.com/space/

Eric