Mhlawumbi abanye benu, abo banomdla kakhulu kwihlabathi le-aeronautics kunye nendawo, bayazi ukuba yintoni iprojekthi ye-NASA ye-PhoneSat. Ngokusisiseko, yayimalunga nokwenza iisathelayithi ezinexabiso eliphantsi. Ezi PhoneSat zigqame ngokuba ne I-Nexus S njengomhlali ophambili. Ngoku i-terminal sele yenze umnxeba eMhlabeni isuka emajukujukwini.
Yiveki ezimbini kuphela ukususela ekuqaleni PhoneSat yaziswa emajukujukwini. Kwaye yintoni kwabaninzi namhlanje ifowuni ephelelwe lixesha, kwiNASA inokuba ligcisa elikwinqanaba eliphezulu. Ngethamsanqa, i-Nexus S yayingenalo uxanduva lokuqhuba i-rocket eyayifanele ithwale i-satellite kwi-orbit, kodwa oko akubalulekanga ngokwenene. Ngoku ifowuni sele ijikeleza uMhlaba kwi-PhoneSat, kwaye ngokwenene, sele isetyenziselwe ukwenza umnxeba wokuqala kwifowuni kwiplanethi yethu. Ngokusisiseko, kwaye ngokutsho kweNASA, i-Nexus S inamandla okwenza eminye yemisebenzi ephambili yesathelayithi, njengokucutshungulwa, ukuhamba, ukulawula amandla, kunye nobuchule bokunxibelelana. Ngoku baza kuzama ukutshintsha i-orientation yesathelayithi.
Ikamva linokuthembisa ngokwenene, ekubeni i-PhoneSat ixabisa kuphela i-NASA ye-7.500 yeedola, isixa esingenamsebenzi ngokwenene ukuba sithatha ingqalelo kwixabiso ezinokuthi zibe nazo ezi zixhobo zobuchwepheshe. Ngapha koko, eli xabiso linokuvumela nabani na kuthi ukuba athumele isathelayithi kwi-orbit kubomi bonke ngokulula. Ayikuko ukuba nabani na une-7.500 yeedola ezishiyekileyo, kodwa ayisisixa esingenakwenzeka nakubani na xa kufikwa ekujikelezeni uMhlaba. Ngaphezu koko, i-smartphone uninzi lwethu oluyiphetheyo ingcono kune-Nexus S.
Le sathelayithi yeyokuqala kuphela kuthotho lweesathelayithi ze-PhoneSat esele zithunyelwe kwezi veki zimbini kwaye zithwele i-Nexus S. Isathelayithi inobunzima bekhilogram enye kuphela, ngoko kuyaqondakala ukuba ixabiso lokunciphisa libe likhulu kakhulu. . Ukufika kweNyanga ngumntu kuqhutywe ngomthamo ophantsi wokucubungula kunoomatshini bokuhlamba esinabo ekhaya. Ngokwenyani, into yokuba ifowuni enye yanele ukuphatha yonke imisebenzi yesathelayithi ayimangalisi. Yintoni etshintshileyo kukuba ngoku akusafuneki i-cabin enkulu yokubeka ikhompyutha enkulu, kodwa i-smartphone elula, kwi-cabin enobunzima obungaphantsi kwekhilogram enye yanele.
