Google Android Phones to Be Used in Outer Space?

Engineers in Great Britain plan to send the first cell phone into outer space to orbit Earth in the very near future. The phone will be used to control a small satellite and to take photographs of our planet. They will not be working with a specially designed phone; rather, they will make use of an ordinary cell phone running Google Android, which is an open source operating system. Instead of using highly sophisticated hardware to achieve such a feat, Google Android phones for outer space would rely on the artificial intelligence provided by its operating system. This open source software can be legally modified and customized by engineers worldwide to handle amazing and very specific operations in outer space.

Google Android Phones for Astronauts?

If this British-led operation is successfully carried out, will it be the precursor to a new line of Google Android phones built and programmed especially for outer space missions? Will astronauts be able to phone home to speak with officials, family members, and friends during their voyages to the final frontier? Will it someday be possible for average users of Google Android phones to use these devices to peer into outer space and somehow view images on a screen that are just as interesting as those seen through a telescope? We might even ask the question of whether astronauts on the moon or in Mars' orbit will be able to communicate by cell phone with astronauts orbiting another world.

One of the principle reasons the engineers are exploring the use of Google Android phones for outer space missions is the desire to greatly decrease the costs associated with exploring the final frontier. They would like to progress to making use of economical, out-of-the box electronics for outer space missions. This would greatly cut down on the astronomical costs associated with space programs. However, what are the risks that might be involved with using Google Android phones in outer space?

Cell phone usage here on Earth certainly has caused a multitude of problems, health and otherwise. What problems might this technology cause in outer space and how could it affect Earth? We've seen the havoc that unethical hackers can and do wreak on computer networks as they write malicious code to steal information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and other private data. Cyber crime has skyrocketed with the advancement of technology, which led to the development of a still fairly new discipline--computer forensics. What new discipline will be born if Google Android phones become common in outer space missions?

Source:

Jonathan Amos
Mobile phone to blast into orbit
BBC.co.uk