Perhaps some of you who are most interested in the world of aeronautics and space, are aware of what the NASA PhoneSat project is. Basically, it was about creating much cheaper satellites. These PhoneSat stand out for having the Nexus S as the main occupant. Now the terminal has already made a call to Earth from space.
It's only been two weeks since the first PhoneSat was launched into space. And what for many is today a totally obsolete telephone, for NASA it can become a high-level technician. Fortunately, the Nexus S was not responsible for piloting the rocket that had to carry the satellite into orbit, but that is not really important. Now the phone is already orbiting the Earth on the PhoneSat, and in fact, it has already been used to make the first call to a phone on our planet. Basically, and according to NASA, the Nexus S has the capabilities to perform some of the main tasks of the satellite, such as processing, satellite navigation, power management, and communication capabilities. Now they are going to try to change the orientation of the satellite.
The future can be really promising, since the PhoneSat has only cost NASA 7.500 dollars, an amount that is really negligible if we take into account the price that these technological facilities can have. In fact, this price could allow any of us to send a satellite into orbit over a lifetime with relative ease. Not that anyone has $ 7.500 left over, but it is not an impossible amount for anyone when it comes to orbiting the Earth. What's more, the smartphone most of us carry is better than a Nexus S.
This satellite is only the first of a series of PhoneSat satellites that have already been sent over these two weeks and that carry a Nexus S. The satellite has a weight of only one kilogram, so it is understandable that the reduction cost has been so immense. The arrival of the Moon by the human being was carried out with a processing capacity lower than that of the washing machines that we have at home. Actually, the fact that one phone is enough to manage all the functions of a satellite is not surprising. What has changed is that now it is no longer necessary a huge cabin to house a large computer, but a simple smartphone, in a cabin that weighs less than one kilogram is enough.
