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Wi-Fi, Now Available On the ISS

Posted by timothy on from the shipping-not-included dept.

Grant Henninger writes "Rejoice! The next time you have an extra $20 million and decide to visit the International Space Station you won't need to leave the window to tell all your friends how cool it is. The ISS now has a new Wi-Fi network, so all you'll need to do is fire up Twitterrific and announce how much better you are than your Earth-based friends."

20 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. And we already know who is the ISP by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It has to be AT&T.

    Can't wait to see the bills on this one.

    1. Re:And we already know who is the ISP by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 3, Funny

      sending a text message is about 4 times as expensive (per kilobyte) as retrieving data from the Hubble.

      Well then... given it's tax dollars, they probably implemented the wifi link via text messages :-)

      --

      "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

  2. War-orbiting by Tyger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alright, who is going to be the first to start the new war-orbiting trend?

    I wonder if it is an unsecured wireless network. Does being far above anyone else who could access your wireless network count as security through obscurity?

    1. Re:War-orbiting by leviathan2k · · Score: 3, Funny

      I can imagine the chaps on SpaceShipTwo making a fly-by with a laptop, just for the sake of it.

    2. Re:War-orbiting by Cathoderoytube · · Score: 3, Funny

      I can only imagine. The ISS will get hit with a lawsuit by the RIAA because some freeloading college kids are accessing their network to download music.

      --
      I have nothing compelling to say
  3. The real reason by sleeponthemic · · Score: 3, Funny

    Fresh pron. (That one tattered penthouse they were allowed to bring up is starting to fall apart).

    --
    I record my sleeptalking
  4. So... by nightglider28 · · Score: 3, Funny

    New hobby: War-rocketing.

  5. Extra $20 million by bigtallmofo · · Score: 5, Funny

    The next time you have an extra $20 million...all you'll need to do is fire up Twitterrific and announce how much better you are than your Earth-based friends

    The next time I have an extra $20 million, I won't need Twitterific or even a visit to the ISS to let my friends know how much better I am than them. I'll hire people to follow my friends around town to let them know that fact on an hourly basis.

    --
    I'm a big tall mofo.
  6. Re:NASA will probably cooperate by amdpox · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't think a Pringles cantenna is going to be sufficient here... anyone got a spare grain silo laying around?

  7. If I may suggest... by denzacar · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...a slight upgrade to your plan?

    Hire SUPERMODELS instead of mere "people".
    You can thank me for this small and yet brilliant upgrade by paying me a small sum of US$ 181829.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  8. Network Stumbler by DeadBugs · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would explain why every 90 minutes or so "ISS" pops up on my available networks and then promptly disappears.

    --
    http://www.kubuntu.org/
    1. Re:Network Stumbler by spaceman375 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Can I borrow your antenna?

      --
      On the one hand you take life too seriously, and on the other, you do not take playful existence seriously enough. Seth
  9. But you will have to speak Russian by bornwaysouth · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought there are fears that once the Shuttles no longer service the ISS in 2010, then access to the ISS will be limited to nations that can say "Da, you can have Georgia" in Russian.

    So your friends will have to accept you talking through a Russian interpreter. This may well improve the conversation. I mean, how often can you say 'The earth is a blue and white ball' without getting boring. Whereas, a mistranslation such as 'Why on earth are your balls blue and white?' will at least help.

  10. Is it free? by snikulin · · Score: 5, Funny

    My 20 mil contract does not say anything about WiFi. Should I buy a cup of coffee to use it?

  11. Re:China? by Brian+Gordon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, on the plus side it's pretty much the only thing available for wardrivers in the area.

  12. Sounds pretty cool but... by __aailob1448 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Shouldn't they have fiber by now?

    That's what they get for trusting the U.S telcos to deliver.

  13. Re:Shit! by willyhill · · Score: 3, Funny

    Alternatively, it also means they're not running Ubuntu... since they got wireless capabilities... /thanksi'llbehereallweektrytheveal

    --
    The twitter monologues. Click on my homepage and be amazed.
  14. First Message by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

    To: Gfnnrzx
    From: Plftspnk
    Subject: New WiFi Hot Spot

    Hey dude! I was cruising thru the wasteland in my saucer and I found this great open hot spot. Its right near that crazy pile of junk orbiting planet Irth. Just pull up behind them, so they won't see your ship and you can log your laptop onto the Irth Internet and download lots of cool homosapien p0rn. Also, log onto this site called Slashdot and post something about welcoming alien overlords. They'll get a kick out of it.

    Later, dude.

    P.S.: What's a lap, anyway?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re:First Message by Kjella · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sure, why not. It was established already in Independence Day that aliens use IPv4, so they should just be able to hook right up.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    2. Re:First Message by slimjim8094 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Damnit, we're running out fast enough as it is!

      TEH ALIENS ARE GONNA STEAL ALL OUR ADDRESSSPACE!!! /doomsday

      --
      I have developed a truly marvelous proof of this comment, which this signature is too narrow to contain.