Getting smarter in space

At the core of STRaND-1 is a Google Nexus One smartphone with an Android operating system carrying advanced technologies such as cameras,radio links,high performance computer processors and accelerometers.

Last year,when Liddle was coming to grips with his new smartphone,the “lightbulb” moment struck. “I was checking out my new phone’s features,and it suddenly occurred to me that the phone packed a lot of the functions we build into our satellites: a GPS system,radio frequency comms,cameras,magnetometers,accelerometers,a high end processor and loads of data storage. And that was it—a true lightbulb moment —and STRaND-1 was born! When I started talking to the team it became clear that we could do a lot more by mounting the phone inside a ‘cubesat’ and the idea grew from there,” Liddle says.

With mobile telephony making leaps and bounds over the last five years,smartphones have become a big draw for satellite manufacturers. Liddle says,“With STRaND-1 we’re using the smartphone to test if what has made such a difference to our lives on Earth can also make a difference in space. Many of the current phone technologies are much more advanced than traditional space technologies and if

we can adapt even some of them for space use then the result could be a big step in the performance of our satellites.”

In its first phase of the mission,STRaND-1 will use a number of experimental ‘apps’ to collect data. In phase two,the team plans to switch the satellite’s in-orbit operations to the smartphone,to test the capabilities of smartphone components in space. The apps on board were developed by winners of a Facebook competition that was held last year.

iTesa will record the magnitude of the magnetic field around the phone during orbit. The app will show satellite telemetry on the smartphone’s display,which can be imaged by an additional camera on-board.

The 360 app will take images using the smartphone’s camera and use the technology onboard the spacecraft to establish STRaND-1’s position. Public will also be able to request for their own unique satellite images of Earth.

The Scream in Space app,developed by Cambridge University Space Flight,will make full use of the smartphone’s speakers. Testing the theory ‘in space no-one can hear you scream’,made popular by the 1979 film Alien,the app will play videos of the best screams while in orbit and screams will be recorded using the smartphone’s own microphone.

Apart from these unique apps,STRaND-1 will also fly new technologies such as ‘WARP DRiVE’ (Water Alcohol Resistojet Propulsion Deorbit Re-entry Velocity Experiment) and electric Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs); both ‘firsts’ to fly on a satellite. It’s also flying a 3D printed part—believed to be the first in space.

Dr Chris Bridges,lead engineer on the project,says,“A smartphone on a satellite like this has never been launched before but our tests have been pretty thorough,subjecting the phone to oven and freezer temperatures,blasting it with radiation. It has a good chance of working,but you can never make true design evolutions without taking a few risks: STRaND is cool because it allows us to do just that.”