Outer space has its perks — but super-speedy Internet is, so far, not one of them.
Connection speeds from the International Space Station are "worse than what dial-up was like," the astronaut Scott Kelly said on Twitter. (His colleague, Reid Wiseman, agrees: "We have a very slow internet connection, but reliable email," he said back in February.)
Internet connectivity in space is structured around a network of tracking and data relay satellites — the same fleet of communications satellites that NASA engineers on the ground use to communicate with astronauts on the International Space Station. And it's not like there's any shortage of technology aboard. "They have laptop computers, including one in their personal sleeping quarters, which they can use for limited web access — email, tweeting, and news," David Steitz, a spokesman for NASA, told me. "They also have tablets onboard they can use for various operational tasks, but also video conferences with family and friends on the ground." Read more...
More about Space, Internet, Nasa, Communication, and ConnectivitySource Tech http://ift.tt/1cT7Wgy
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment