Impressive as they are, satellites and space probes arent always the most versatile pieces of equipment once theyre up in orbit. A new satellite developed by researchers from the University of Stuttgarts Institute of Space Systems looks set to shake things up in a pretty big way when it launches in 2012, however, even if its not quite the "transforming" space probe that you might be imagining. Described as a "flying laptop," the satellite promises to pack a vast array of instruments and sensors, including cameras, multispectral imagers, star trackers, and GPS receivers, to name a few, all of which can apparently be completely reconfigured on the fly in space. That, the researchers say, could let the satellite switch from, say, an atmospheric pollution sensor to a near-Earth asteroid detector, an even open up some new commercial possibilities, with different groups able to rent out the satellite to perform various tasks.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Flying laptop spacecraft could transform in space, sort of
Impressive as they are, satellites and space probes arent always the most versatile pieces of equipment once theyre up in orbit. A new satellite developed by researchers from the University of Stuttgarts Institute of Space Systems looks set to shake things up in a pretty big way when it launches in 2012, however, even if its not quite the "transforming" space probe that you might be imagining. Described as a "flying laptop," the satellite promises to pack a vast array of instruments and sensors, including cameras, multispectral imagers, star trackers, and GPS receivers, to name a few, all of which can apparently be completely reconfigured on the fly in space. That, the researchers say, could let the satellite switch from, say, an atmospheric pollution sensor to a near-Earth asteroid detector, an even open up some new commercial possibilities, with different groups able to rent out the satellite to perform various tasks.
