> 1) Open-Source Software
> 2) Open-Source Hardware
> 3) Open-Source Spacecraft
Turns out that 3 is really just 1 and 2, plus Open Source mechanical engineering as well: http://psas.pdx.edu/
> 2) Open-Source Hardware
> 3) Open-Source Spacecraft
Turns out that 3 is really just 1 and 2, plus Open Source mechanical engineering as well: http://psas.pdx.edu/
1) Find/track the spacecraft
2) Steer antennae to follow the spacecraft
3) Create transmitter and receiver hardware capable of communicating with the spacecraft's radio equipment (perhaps software radios).
4) Write software capable of handling the transmit and receive protocols.
5) Write software that captures the state of the spacecraft.
6) Write software that can control the spacecraft.
7) Decide where the spacecraft should go (hopefully, if we were to reestablish communications, perhaps NASA would help with the physics).
I think the bulk of the project consists of performing the research required to actually "speak the spacecraft's language". Fortunately, this part of the project is most conducive to crowd-sourcing and collaboration.
Unless, of course, you get full specification from relevant agencies and check with them before issuing any command. But that implies they're willing to apply resources on this project, which is another though barrier.
Anyway, sounds like quite an adventure. My sincere good luck.
1. That the documentation for the commands exists and that it's available to the project.
2. That NASA (or someone with sufficient knowledge) helps avoid issuing dangerous commands (e.g. running the spacecraft into the ISS).
Otherwise, it's probably better to do nothing. As I noted above, I view this more as crowd-sourcing the expensive "reengineering".
I'm guessing that is not much. (Amazing that it still had any at all)!