On our insignificant rock in the cosmos, Earth, we have begun developing a global information network. But the Internet can be a magnificent way, not just to examine our own planet, but also to help explore the reaches of space.
With the tiniest of baby steps, we are twittering our way to space knowledge. Mike Massimino, a NASA astronaut on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, recently sent the first tweet from space -- sort of. While the astronauts can't directly access the Internet from the Shuttle, Massimino sent tweets via email from the Shuttle's laptops to a NASA employee on the ground, who then posted them.
Massimino had been sending several tweets a day while still on Earth. But once he was in space, his tweets decreased to about one a day. I guess he got busy taking walks outside to repair some telescope.
He's not stopping at Twitter: Two weeks ago, Polansky posted a video on YouTube suggesting viewers post video questions about space on YouTube and send a link to the videos to his Twitter account. Polansky says when he's aboard the ISS he'll answer some of the questions, which will be broadcast over NASA TV.
NASA itself has become something of a social networking butterfly. The agency has 36 accounts on Twitter (including its main account), 24 on Facebook, eight on Flickr, five on MySpace, and 13 YouTube channels. NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander gained attention by tweeting its progress on the Red Planet (with a little help from humans on Earth). NASA's Cassini-Huygens Saturn probe also has a Twitter account.
You don't have to be an astronaut or a robot probe to employ the Internet in space exploration. Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope software, apparently so inspirational it made tech blogger Robert Scoble cry when he saw it, incorporates thousands of space images and enables anyone with a Windows computer to pan, zoom, and navigate around the universe from multiple angles. The site has many interesting videos describing the project. But you need to download software to use the "telescope."
"Google Mars" provides a multiplicity of views of the closest planet (depending on the time of year) to Earth. But it's more impressive to view beautiful 3D maps and flyovers of Mars, watch tutorials, and see real-time orbital tracks of Mars spacecraft by downloading Google Earth, which recently was upgraded to incorporate the Mars content.
Then there's the mobility angle: A couple of weeks ago, I got excited reading a Sunday Times article describing a new Google service, "Star Droid," that employs a cellular phone's GPS capabilities to display the names of planets and stars on the phone's screen. Google has just introduced Google Sky Map for Android phones, which appears to be "Star Droid." It's not as visually exciting, information-rich, or fast as I'd like, but it's a start.
On the downside, a few space-oriented phones have been introduced; but they are, frankly, pathetic. Verizon Wireless offers Nokia's 7205 Intrigue, a mediocre two-megapixel camera phone that ties into the new Star Trek movie. In the U.K., Nokia has introduced a somewhat more advanced Star Trek-themed phone, the 5800, but it's still lame for what should be a future-oriented handset.
A "space" phone should combine the best of technology, including a high-resolution camera, HD video recording, a microprojector, and astronomy-oriented software (such as Google Sky Map or picoSky) that ties into space sites via wireless Internet connectivity.
Humans are just a speck in the universe. But we are imbued with the desire to explore, and as we slowly inch our way into the cosmos, we'll be taking the Internet with us.
I guess speculation is a different thing than what these guys are doing. Speculation is very interesting and broadens the perspective. But I guess if someone like Licklider writes about the "Galactic Network" in 1962 or so, he is not speculating, he's rather inspired and in connection with some stream of evolution (I don't really find the words to express what I am trying to say) ;-)
Maybe comparable to when an artist like Bach or Beethoven write some of that timeless music.
Are you sure you want a wireless connection in your neck? It may roast your brain. ;-)
Man-machine? Fascinating idea, but I am not sure if I like it that much. For me it should go the opposite direction. I believe human beings using all their senses have a lot more power to create and connect than we currently use. And technologies and things like the Internet pave the way to create awareness of what we can do. But I believe that in the far future there will come a day where we learn that we don't need physical devices to do all this. They are currently only helping to create the understanding.
I have experimented a lot with new physical devices based on findings in quantum physics. And what I have learned is that our consciousness interacts with the devices. On another level there are projects, such as the Global Consciousness Project at the Princeton University, where they have recorded more than 10 years of data with EGGs (Electro Gaia Gram) placed all over the world. The analysis clearly shows that strong impulses in human consciousness can be measured (such as the collective reaction to big events like Lady Di's death, September 11 or the Tsunami in Thailand). The scientists currently go into a new area, they believe that collective human consciousness even affects things like the magnetic field of the earth. And they recently started an additional project to daily record the status of the magnetic field and compare it to the analysis from the Global Consciousness Project. Pretty wild stuff, maybe it adds some options to your speculations ;-)
I know a bit about Licklider because I've read a books about the history of computing and the Internet, but I don't remember much. Thanks for reminding me -- and other readers.
You can often pick out predictions made by people decades ago. The problem is it's not too difficult to make lots of predictions, but it is difficult to make predictions that come true!
I try to speculate a bit in some of my ThinkerNET blogs about possible scenarios, but it's a far cry from the geniuses like Licklider, Arthur C. Clarke, etc.
The Internet certainly is sparking a lot of futuristic scenarios, and that is great fun. Man-machine (or should I say Person-Machine?!) integration is a favorite of mine, and I'm still waiting to have a plug installed in the back of my neck, although a wireless connection would be much more aesthetically pleasing!
Thank you for this great article. I was researching on the Interplanetary Internet quite some time ago. When I looked up the RFCs that were already published on parts of the protocol, I found the name Licklider and I must admit, I did not know that guy before. So when I researched about Licklider I found a lot of interesting information. He wrote an article back in the early 60ies, called "The Galactic Network", which created a picture of what the Internet has become much later.
I think that is awesome. Sometimes there are guys and they are capable and visionary enough to pick up on things that will only become common sense some 40 or even many more years later. Isn't that amazing?
I am sure there is no limit to a) the evolution of the Internet and its services and b) to the expansion of consciousness and space. So we're ready for a cool ride, aren't we?
I certainly agree! The Internet has already shown it can be extremely valuable for spreading knowledge. Even something as "simple" as just posting photos from the Hubble -- those beautiful, amazing images of planets, stars, dust clouds, etc. -- has generated some excitement.
But at least NASA has been taking advantage of the Internet. Now, we need more schools to use computers for teaching about science.
That's a great vision. It would also get the public to better understand the scientific and consumer-driven value of the space programs. Connecting them directly would move towards that goal. There have been many benefits, never recognized, that have come from space.
Your vision also of new and expanded use of satellites may further open up new doors. The connection with the internet and GPS and greater space literacy would be a positive benefit to all.
That's a very good point about the amount of storage available. We're able to cram increasing amounts of data into hard drives, solid state, etc., but photos from space can require a huge amount of storage. And, radiation, random hits by micrometeorites, equipment failure and software bugs can corrupt data.
Perhaps we'll have networks of satellites connected in a type of mesh networks and linked over millions, billions of milles, providing redundant links from space to Earth.
One of the limitations with space exploration is the limit in storage, once the hard drive gets filled, you have no other choice than to fly back, the mission is over. By having an interplanetary network is to remove that as a limitation. You can leave a satellite orbiting a planet and just have it send the data over, as more and more satellites are left behind with functional communications equipment, the bigger the network.
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