NANOSATELLITES Powered By Kinect Could Snap Together Like LEGO; Yeah, Space!

This is goddamn insanity. Bonkers! Nanosatellites are real, and thanks to Kinect they could be snapped together like LEGO. Forming super-satellites that can see me as I wank to various unfortunate feeds on Tumblr. I made that last part up.

The Verge:

Researchers at the University of Surrey are preparing for a new mission that could see tiny satellites dock together in space with the help of  Microsoft Kinect  sensors. Called STRaND-2 (Surrey Training, Research, and Nanosatellite Demonstrator), the mission consists of two nanosatellites that measure just 30 centimeters across and are equipped with Kinect technology, which makes them aware of their surroundings. The plan is to use this ability to join the satellites together once in orbit – sort of like big pieces of LEGO.

The team describes them as “space building blocks” that could be used to build larger crafts in space, which could also be reconfigured depending on the situation. Eventually the satellites could be used to do anything from providing a backup power source to adding extra propulsion to a craft. “Once you can launch low cost nanosatellites that dock together, the possibilities are endless,” explained project lead Dr. Chris Bridges. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on when the mission is expected to take place, so it’ll likely be quite some time before we see any Voltron-style spaceships.

The future is here, and sometimes it is wonderful.