iPhone 4 Models Look To Go Into Space

Tweet

No matter how you feel about the final mission of the space shuttle Atlantis tomorrow–and feelings run the gamut from moderate interest to outright, bitter betrayal–one thing is perfectly clear: it’s the end of an era. And joining in on that end are a couple of modified iPhone 4 models, being sent up to the International Space Station in a bid to give researchers a tool that will help in research.

And when I say the iPhones in question have been “modified”, it’s best to think of it as being “extensively modified”. All the wireless capabilities have been pulled, and the phones themselves have been hardened to work in zero gravity conditions. Plus, the iPhones’ internal batteries have been pulled, and replaced with external battery packs that have been certified for use in space. It’s interesting to note that the phone actually had to be hardened for use in zero gravity, while most often, we’re used to a phone being hardened against gravity, or rather, the results of too much interaction with gravity (i.e. drops).

But why the iPhone 4, you wonder? Why not the HTC Thunderbolt or the Samsung Galaxy Tab or something a bit more appropriately titled? Word is that, while NASA doesn’t have an officially-sanctioned smartphone for use in space, they only had to customize the iPhone 4 to get it spaceworthy. They didn’t actually have the time to certify an entire device for travel. Plus, there’s some word that iPhone may well, at some point, be standard equipment for International Space Station personnel owing to its “huge base of software developers” and potential for things like gathering images and the like.

Oh, and for those wondering? At last report the space-faring iPhone 4 will not be jailbroken in advance.

It’s hard to say just how to feel at this stage of the game. Sure, it’s great to see the iPhones take the long ride up past the surly bonds of earth and all like that, but at the same time it’s hard to believe that this is the last shuttle mission.

And how do you guys feel about all this? Excited to see the iPhones take the trip? Dismayed at the last shuttle mission, at least for a while? Heavily conflicted? No matter how you feel, we’re ready to hear from you down in the comments section!