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Nexus S Directs SPHERES On ISS
Nexus S Android phones are being used to upgrade and control SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites) on the International Space Station.
SF fans know that in 1999, MIT engineering Professor David Miller showed the movie Star Wars on the first day of class. During the scene where Luke Skywalker practices his light saber against a seeker remote, Miller stood up and said "I want you to build me some of those."
(Luke practices with seeker remote)
This dream became reality in May of 2006, when the SPHERES mini-satellites flew in the ISS.
Take a look at this recent video showing how Android is being used to direct SPHERES.
(Nexus S Directs SPHERES On ISS video)
Research engineer DW Wheeler says that NASA went with the Nexus S because “the phone is very easy to take apart. Android is easy to program, we’re familiar with it, and we needed to make a lot of customizations that are easier to make with Android”.
Via Google Blog and Techcrunch.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 9/2/2011)
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