Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NASA To Develop Small Satellites

Posted by Soulskill on from the not-necessarily-bigger-than-a-breadbox dept.

coondoggie brings news that NASA has announced it will team with Machine-to-Machine Intelligence Corp. to produce small satellites, called 'nanosats,' weighing between 11 and 110 pounds. The satellites will work together in 'constellations' and facilitate networking in space. According to NASA's press release, it will 'develop a fifth generation telecommunications and networking system for Internet protocol-based and related services.' We've discussed miniature satellites in the past.

2 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Great, by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just what we need, more ofthis.

    I guess it would be more difficult to shoot down a self-healing mesh of small satellites(as opposed to shooting down one big one).

  2. Re:Mass appeal by Raptoer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They will still weigh quite a bit when in orbit.

    But the force of gravity pulling down will be countered by the force of it spinning around the earth. Astronauts are in free fall, not in 0g.