NASA has three smartphones orbiting the earth as mini-satellites

Re:NASA has three smartphones orbiting the earth as mini-sat... by Isamu on Friday April 26, 2013 @11:08AM (#5613299)

Having your own mapping/sensor satellite would be interesting. You'd need a polar orbit to get really complete coverage, but more likely most of what you'd be interested in is in the lower latitudes and some orbit that is inclined from the equator some amount is all you'd need.

[edit] Here's a catalog of satellite orbits courtesy of NASA: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OrbitsCatalog/

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Re:NASA has three smartphones orbiting the earth as mini-sat... by lutusp on Friday April 26, 2013 @11:26AM (#5613418)

Thanks! I was actually (and perhaps naively) thinking only of a radio relay satellite, not one with optical sensors. Your description is much more interesting.

Once this happens -- once cheap optical survey satellites come into existence (and they will) -- governments are going to go completely nuts. Right now, governments can put pressure on the few survey satellite operators to blur out certain sensitive locations (as in a recent story posted here). But once cheap satellites come into existence, that option will evaporate.

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Re:NASA has three smartphones orbiting the earth as mini-sat... by jodrellblank on Friday April 26, 2013 @12:32PM (#5613785)

Probably before that happens with satellites, it will happen with solar powered high altitude remote control planes, and mounted cameras. Consumer level not military spy drone level.

There's already a driver for this technology - flying the plane while wearing a head mounted display - a currently expensive niche hobby.

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