# NASA launches 3 smartphones into space **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714 "2013-04-25T21:56:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/1 "2013-04-25T21:56:44Z")
Their announcement is [here](http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/apr/HQ_13-107_Phonesat.html). They’re calling each one a PhoneSat. The idea grew out of an attempt to see how cheaply a satellite could be built with prebuilt parts. The phones are acting as the satellite’s computer and are programmed to send radio signals and take occasional pictures. > [@](#): > > The spacecraft also will attempt to take pictures of Earth using their cameras. Amateur radio operators around the world can participate in the mission by monitoring transmissions and retrieving image data from the three satellites. Large images will be transmitted in small chunks and will be reconstructed through a distributed ground station network. More information can found at: [http://www.phonesat.org](http://www.phonesat.org) So far, NASA reports that they’re operating normally. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/2 "2013-04-25T22:04:17Z")
I’m guessing we’ll be seeing iPhones lobbed into space soon. Bet it is burning Apple’s fitters that they sent an Android based phone up there. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/3 "2013-04-25T22:25:42Z")
I’ll bet they aren’t getting very damned many bars up there though. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/4 "2013-04-25T22:41:02Z")
Way to be proactive on E.T.'s need to phone home! ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/5 "2013-04-25T22:43:03Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Way to be proactive on E.T.'s need to phone home! Isn’t there an app for that? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/6 "2013-04-25T23:26:13Z")
they added batteries and radio equipment. using the phone for its computer, camera, location. some interesting doings. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/7 "2013-04-26T00:26:34Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I’ll bet they aren’t getting very damned many bars up there though. Well, they disabled the phone and texting functions, so I guess the no bars thing is kind of moot. It transmits, but doesn’t receive, and it transmits through an attached beefier radio. I’m surprised that they kept the original cameras, but if that proves workable, it’s cheaper. Maybe next time they can leave the phone and texting operable and challenge the entire world to contact it and leave a message. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/8 "2013-04-26T00:39:45Z")
it is transmitting in the ham radio bands. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/9 "2013-04-26T01:11:06Z")
Have they checked in at 4 square ? Declan ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/10 "2013-04-26T02:30:00Z")
NASA may have built the phonesats, but they were launched on an Antares rocket built by Orbital Science Corp, a private company. (And the Antares rocket uses refurbished engines originally built for the Soviet manned lunar program decades ago!) So it would be more accurate to say that NASA built some smartphone-based satellites, and then paid a private contractor using recycled Russian technology to launch hem. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/11 "2013-04-26T14:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > The hardware for this mission is the Google-HTC Nexus One smartphone running the Android operating system. Any reason they chose to go with a 3-year old phone rather than a newer Android? My only guess is they stared working on it back then, and just kept the phones they started with. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/12 "2013-04-26T14:51:48Z")
I mis-read that as ‘‘NASA launches 3 trombones into space.’’ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/13 "2013-04-26T22:08:39Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > I’m guessing we’ll be seeing iPhones lobbed into space soon. Bet it is burning Apple’s fitters that they sent an Android based phone up there. Hey, if [high-school students](http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/01/25/toronto_teens_send_lego_man_on_a_balloon_odyssey_24_kilometres_high.html) can do it… (Okay, that was cameras instead of a phone, and on a balloon rather than a rocket, but hey, they only had a budget of $500!) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/14 "2013-04-26T22:29:35Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Maybe next time they can leave the phone and texting operable and challenge the entire world to contact it and leave a message. “Hi, this is NASA sat-phone 3. I’m not on earth right now, but if you leave your name, your number and a detailed message, I’ll get back to you…” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/15 "2013-04-27T20:49:46Z")
Does the GPS system work for locations more than a hundred miles above sea level? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/16 "2013-04-27T20:53:03Z")
> [@AndrewL](#): > > NASA may have built the phonesats, but they were launched on an Antares rocket built by Orbital Science Corp, a private company. (And the Antares rocket uses refurbished engines originally built for the Soviet manned lunar program decades ago!) So it would be more accurate to say that NASA built some smartphone-based satellites, and then paid a private contractor using recycled Russian technology to launch hem. True. Since they’re going for cheap and off the shelf, that sounds appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/17 "2013-04-27T22:02:58Z")
So instead of Vger coming back in 300 years, it will be Pho’t looking for the next stage of Angry Birds. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-launches-3-smartphones-into-space/656714/18 "2013-04-27T23:54:37Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Does the GPS system work for locations more than a hundred miles above sea level? Most modern space launch vehicles and some guided sounding rockets use a combination of inertial navigation and GPS (integrated GPS/INS). Since GPS satellites are at about 15000 nmi altitude, this is feasible for LEO space vehicles. Above that, inertial navigation, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), or the Deep Space Network (DSN) is used for location determination. Stranger