NASA has three smartphones orbiting the earth as mini-satellites

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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