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from the now-they-just-need-smaller-astronauts dept.
NASA is looking to bolster small satellite projects (such as CubeSats):
NASA announces the addition of its newest virtual institute to advance the field of small spacecraft systems. The Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI), hosted at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, will leverage the growing small spacecraft community, promote innovation, identify emerging technology opportunities, and provide an efficient channel for communication about small spacecraft systems with industry, academia, and other government agencies.
[...] Depending on the mission objective, a small spacecraft can range in size from a postage-stamp (under an ounce) up to the size of a refrigerator (about 400 pounds). Many recently launched NASA small spacecraft conform to the CubeSat standards - established by academia - in which a single cube (called a one-unit, or 1U) measures about 4 inches on each side, has an approximate volume of one quart, and weighs less than three pounds. The variety of sizes offers spacecraft capabilities tailored to specific science instruments, exploration sensors, or technology demonstrations.
NASA will collaborate with private companies (for example, those that are imaging the Earth or asteroids using satellites):
The White House is announcing its plan today to promote the use of small space satellites — a move aimed at strengthening the U.S.' burgeoning commercial space industry. The project, called "Harnessing the Small Satellite Revolution," is meant to spur collaboration between government agencies, including NASA, and the private sector to find practical uses for small satellites, or smallsats.
These tiny space probes — which weigh anywhere between a few hundred pounds to just a few ounces — can be valuable tools for planetary scientists, as well as provide internet access and monitor space traffic. That's why the White House is looking for ways to boost smallsat production, as well as find ways these private spacecraft can benefit the government. So as part of the new initiative, NASA will be spending up to $25 million to purchase data collected by private companies' smallsats. For now, the space agency is looking for data that can help with its study of Earth science, like detailed images of the planet's surface. NASA will also spend an extra $5 million to make this smallsat technology even more robust.
(Score: 4, Informative) by FatPhil on Tuesday November 01 2016, @09:47AM
You're not doing real science, real science is done in SI.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @10:21AM
Units of measure don't matter as long as the results are falsifiable. Metric technobabble doesn't make it sciencey. You're just a bigoted poser, dude.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @03:54PM
Metric technobabble
Clearly you have no background in science.
You're just a bigoted poser, dude.
What are you, 14 years old?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 01 2016, @07:05PM
You keep wondering if other posters are teenagers. How old are you?
(Score: 1, Troll) by bob_super on Tuesday November 01 2016, @04:36PM
> measures about 4 inches on each side, has an approximate volume of one quart, and weighs less than three pounds
Wikipedia:
CubeSats are made up of 10×10×11.35 cm units designed to provide 10×10×10 cm or 1 liter of useful volume while weighing no more than 1.33 kg
The definition is SI, but someone conveniently converted to keep Americans happy and ignorant.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday November 01 2016, @06:42PM
The *replacement* for the space shuttle was designed in imperial units, for pity's sake.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves