Smartphones are ready to conquer outer space

“Modern smartphones are pretty amazing,” said Shaun Kenyon, the project manager at SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Limited).

“They come now with processors that can go up to 1GHz, and they have loads of flash memory. First of all, we want to see if the phone works up there, and if it does, we want to see if the phone can control a satellite,” he added.

However, it is important that the devices operate in the conditions of the outer space. Cell phones have traveled at high altitudes with balloons, but now this would be the first time such a device goes into space.

The space mission will begin later this year. The smartphone chosen for the mission runs Android, but engineers didn’t disclose the model. They only mentioned that there isn’t anything special, but a regular smartphone that can be found in any store and costs about $ 450.

Source: BBC