Smartphone Technology Could Eventually Power Satellites In Space

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Launching things into space, particularly satellites, is a tricky business. Not only do you need to develop satellites with expensive technology that can survive and function properly in the harsh environment of space, but you have to make them as light as you possibly can. After all, it costs a lot to launch something into orbit, and that cost climbs significantly higher with each additional pound that needs to escape Earth’s gravity.

Researchers at the University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in the UK may have solved at least a couple of those problems, though, as they’re currently developing a 10 pound satellite that runs on Android. The satellite, which is named Strand-1 and is designed to take pictures of Earth, is expected to launch into low-Earth orbit later this year.

Shaun Kenyon, mission concepts engineer for the project, has this to say about the Android-powered satellite: “The economic implications of this are really exciting. If these phones stand up to the extreme environments we see in space, it’s amazing to think we could eventually leverage low-cost mobile technology to use in satellite production.”

[Source: Geeky Gadgets]