Media Resources

Press Kit

Everything journalists, bloggers, and content creators need to cover FAESR and the Herald DSMO Deep Space Measurement Observatory.

About FAESR

The Foundation for AI Ethics & Safety Research (FAESR) is a non-profit organization demonstrating that artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for human advancement—not an existential threat. We believe the path to AI safety lies in building practical, transparent systems that create abundance and advance knowledge.

While others focus on hypothetical risks, FAESR builds working technologies that use AI ethically to create abundance for everyone. Our approach: demonstrate responsible AI through action—creating tools that advance humanity while remaining transparent, auditable, and community-controlled.

About Herald DSMO

STATUS: IN DEVELOPMENT — Herald DSMO (Deep Space Measurement Observatory) is FAESR's flagship project—an open-source deep-sky observatory with hardware assembled and software in development. The design combines three co-aligned optical channels, AI-powered processing, and edge computing.

Development Goal: Herald will deliver parallel science—color deep-sky imaging, BVRI stellar photometry, and H-alpha emission mapping—three complementary datasets from every pointing.

Target Specifications (Subject to Change)

  • Deep-Sky Imaging: Player One Poseidon-C (IMX533 cooled color) + 102mm f/7 ED APO—dictates pointing
  • Photometry: Player One Ares-M Pro (IMX533 cooled mono) + Askar FRA 400 + BVRI filters
  • H-alpha Channel: Player One Ares-M Pro (IMX533 cooled mono) + SV106 60mm f/4 + 7nm narrowband
  • Mount: Tracking equatorial mount (CEM40 class)
  • Edge Compute: Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB) + Hailo-8L AI accelerator (13 TOPS)
  • Software: 100% open source—all algorithms auditable and modifiable
  • Target Audience: Institutions & serious citizen scientists
  • Pricing: TBD (development ongoing)

Development Status

  • Completed: Proof-of-concept single-channel prototype
  • Current (Q1 2025): Component selection and design phase
  • Completed (Q1-Q2 2025): Component selection and design phase
  • Current (Q4 2025): Hardware assembled — enclosure and software in development
  • Planned (Q1-Q2 2026): Beta testing with 5-10 collaborators
  • Target (Q3 2026): Founding Network launch (50 stations)

These timelines are aspirational and subject to change based on development progress and funding. FAESR is not accepting pre-orders or deposits at this time.

Seeking Collaborators

Herald is an open project seeking engineers and experts to help bring it to production:

  • Optical Engineering: Alignment, field flattener selection, focus optimization
  • Software Development: Python, INDI drivers, web UI, ML pipelines
  • Embedded Systems: Raspberry Pi, INDI, camera control software
  • Python/ML: Processing pipelines, stacking algorithms, photometry automation
  • Photometry Expertise: BVRI calibration, AAVSO workflow integration

Key Messages

Open Development

"Herald is being built in the open. We publish our BOM, share our design decisions, and welcome collaborators. This isn't a product launch—it's a project seeking help."

Three Channels, One Pointing (Goal)

"Our target: park on any deep-sky object and capture color portraits, stellar photometry, and hydrogen emission maps simultaneously. Three complementary datasets from every observation session."

100% Open Source

"Every line of code will be open source. Every algorithm auditable. No black boxes, no proprietary lock-in. Inspect it, modify it, contribute back—these are community tools."

Radical Transparency

"We publish our component costs, our development timeline, and our challenges. If something isn't working, we'll say so. That's how trust is built."

Market Context

Amateur deep-sky imaging typically requires either expensive tracking mounts or simplified smart telescopes with limited science output. Herald DSMO aims to bridge this gap—a static mount with three co-aligned channels that captures publication-quality data without the complexity of equatorial tracking.

If successful, target users would be engaged science supporters who want turnkey participation in space research— the "I wrote a check to the observatory" demographic who want to actively participate with minimal setup friction and visible proof of scientific contribution.

Company Timeline

2025 FAESR founded
Q1 2026 Herald DSMO prototype development
Q3 2026 Founding Network launch (50 stations, USA & Canada)
2026-2027 Network validation & mass production

Boilerplate

About FAESR: The Foundation for AI Ethics & Safety Research (FAESR) is a non-profit organization demonstrating that AI is a tool for human advancement. Through practical technologies like the Herald DSMO Deep Space Measurement Observatory, FAESR is building turnkey scientific instruments that remain transparent, auditable, and community-controlled. Learn more at faesr.ai.