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Droids on the ISS

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the oh-i-hate-space-travel dept.

SpaceAdmiral writes "Inspired by Luke Skywalker, M.I.T. students have built five droids for the ISS. The orb-shaped devices will float around the International Space Station, maneuvered by compressed CO2 thrusters. The SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold Engage Re-orient Experimental Satellite) will eventually be deployed as tiny satellites, but they first require testing aboard the ISS to learn to fly in formation. One has already been sent to the ISS and two more will join it soon."

6 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. I, for one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...welcome our new rotund orbiting overlords!

    (someone had to say it :-)

  2. Remotes? by parasonic · · Score: 3, Funny

    I guess that Jedi training will have to be added to the astronauts' checklist. They're going to need lightsabers now.

  3. Apples and Oranges by Feneric · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But there's a problem: Flying in formation is trickier than it sounds. Ask a crowd of people to line up single file, and they'll be able to figure it out and do it rather easily. Getting a group of orbiting satellites to do the same thing, it turns out, is extremely hard.

    This isn't really comparing two similar things. The human example is a 2D case on the ground with friction and easy maneuvering, the satellite one a 3D case in space where inertia rules the day. Ask a crowd of people to navigate little orbs into a line in open space and see how long it takes them.

  4. Re:Wouldn't compressed air have been better? by Darth_brooks · · Score: 4, Informative

    whoops i'm a total farking tard. disregard completely, utterly and totally.

    Is it any wonder I failed chem?

    --
    There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
  5. Re:Wouldn't compressed air have been better? by Darth_brooks · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Who knew flammable and inflammable meant the same thing?"

    --
    There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
  6. Is CO2 the best choice for closed-environment? by Myself · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is it just me, or is releasing even more CO2 into the station atmosphere not very helpful? They should use plain compressed air, so as not to alter the gas balance when they're active.

    I understand CO2 is more compressible, but refining it from plain air in order to recharge the little suckers is just extra work. Give 'em big batteries and onboard compressors, and the problem goes away.