An Android phone as a satellite???

I’m intrigued to read of an experiment conducted with the help of NASA and Google techs. Treehugger reports:

What happens when NASA geeks hangout with Google employees? Well, they duct tape their Android-based phones to a space rocket and blast it 28,000 feet into the air. Duh!

It’s the quintessential Maker Faire project! Coined the NexusOne PhoneSat project, its goal is to determine if low-cost mobile phone components can withstand space travel. Not only must they reach orbit without shaking apart but they have to function within a vacuum and operate at both extremely high and low temperatures. And, of course, they’ll have to travel a lot higher than 28,000 feet. The group is comprised of NASA Ames students, Google employees and two NASA contractors.

“The purpose of flying the Nexus One is to find a low-cost satellite solution,” says Thomas Atchison, chairman of the Mavericks Foundation. “The radio, processing power, sensors and cameras in smartphones potentially have the same capability as those in satellites.”

Interestingly enough, smart phones have 120 times the computing power of your average satellite, which are closer to 1984-era computers.

“You can go to Walmart and buy toys that work better than satellites did 20 years ago,” said NASA physicist Chris Boshuizen. “And your cellphone is really a $500 robot in your pocket that can’t get around. A lot of the real innovation now happens in entertainment and cellphone technology, and NASA should be going forward with their stuff.”

There’s more at the link. Interesting and recommended reading.

Here’s a video clip explaining the project.

Looks like a lot of fun was had by all – and if this works out, it might usher in a whole new era of low-cost, relatively low-tech satellites.

Peter