Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read this!
Open source software has been my passion for 30 years. My work with the N.I.N.A. project represents a combination of my open source software interests with another personal interest - astro-imaging and the astronomy sciences. By contributing N.I.N.A. project and creating plugins to extend its capabilities, I am working out my desire to help bring a top-tier astro-imaging suite to the masses, from small backpack-sized amateur setups to professional observatories doing science.
Naturally, this work comes with costs - certainly in terms of personal time spent designing, coding, and supporting it, but also in real money. For example, adding support for new equipment may require purchasing the device or obtaining it on loan which still incurs costs in terms of shipping the unit from the vendor and back to them after the work is completed. I have always covered these costs out of my own pocket.
Sponsoring or supporting my work helps me defray these costs and is one way to let me know how valuable my work is to others.
Thank you.
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