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Mobile Phone to Be Placed in Orbit

By Ian Brockwell  

A team of British Engineers from Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in Guildford (SSTL) plan to place a mobile phone in orbit, to test its capabilities in a Space environment.

It is not certain why anyone would want to know if a mobile phone would work in space, unless the people who sell them are running out of customers on this planet and are optimistic about sales to potential alien clients in the near future?

Apparently, the mobile will run on Google's Android operating system, but the exact model has not yet been chosen. However, the engineers plan to use a standard Smartphone that can be purchased in any high street store (without any special modifications).

Due to the temperature changes and radiation found in space, the mobile will be placed inside the satellite to give it some protection and a hole cut in the side of the casing to allow the phone's camera lens to see out.

Information received by the mobile will not be sent by the phone, but will come back via the satellite's radio link.

The intention is to let the mobile control as much of the satellite as possible.

It will be interesting to see if the phone receives any spam calls (as we do on Earth), or whether any ET's have the urge to make contact?

Ian Brockwell writes straight talking, honest stories that engage readers. Contact Ian through NewsBlaze.