ISS floating orbs to get Nexus S phones

The shuttle Atlantis is set to carry two Nexus S phones into orbit tomorrow that will turn a trio of floating satellites on the International Space Station into remote-operated robots.

The 135th and last flight of the shuttle program, set for 11:26 a.m. ET, will help advance the cause of robotkind when the Android handsets are attached to the bowling ball-size orbs.

Propelled by small CO2 thrusters, the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (Spheres) were developed at MIT and have been in use on the ISS since 2006.

As seen in the vid below, they look like the Star Wars lightsaber training droid but are designed to test spacecraft maneuvers, satellite servicing, and flight formation.

Normally, the Spheres orbs carry out preprogrammed commands from a computer aboard the ISS, but the Nexus Android phones will give them increased computing power, cameras, and links to ground crew who will pilot them.

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"The goal is to find out how we can use telerobotics to increase the efficiency of human explorers and ground controllers," says DW Wheeler of the Intelligent Robotics Group at NASA's Ames Research Center.

The orbs could be used to perform mundane tasks such as inspections and checking inventory and supplies aboard the ISS, which would free up its human occupants for other work. The initial experiments to install the phones on the Spheres could happen in September or October, according to Wheeler.

Meanwhile, MIT is working with high school students under the 2011 Zero Robotics challenge that involves programming and controlling the Spheres in a tournament that happens on the ISS.

Too bad the orbs can't fire lasers yet. They'd make great Jedi training tools.