A British company called Surrey Satellite Technology has developed a new nanosatellite that integrates technology from Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect. That Xbox technology allows the nano satellite to dock with another satellite while orbiting the planet. The satellite is called STRaND, which means Surrey Training Research and Nanosatellite Development.
The idea behind the tiny nano satellite is to use traditional consumer technology to build tiny spacecraft. Inside the satellite enclosure is a Google Nexus smartphone. That smartphone will be used as the onboard computer for the satellite. The Xbox 360 Kinect technology would be used to allow the satellites to know where each other is located and to dock with each other. Apparently, docking systems aren’t traditionally used on such small and low-cost satellite missions but the satellite builder wants to give it a shot.
via SlashGear
