More than a year ago, NASA revealed PhoneSat 1, a diminutive $3,500 satellite powered by a Nexus smartphone and designed to test the viability of using off-the-shelf components. Last month, PhoneSat 2.4 hitched a ride into space.
Now, NASA is happy to report that one of its tiny cubes has phoned home using its Samsung Nexus S core. That means all systems are go, and the second-gen satellite and its companion cubes can begin their year-long exercise in orbit.
A total of eleven PhoneSats were deployed on November 19, and their mission serves three purposes. In addition to gathering scientific data about their surroundings and helping NASA determine how well the DIY-style design will hold up in space, they
