9 Mind-Blowing Tech Projects That Prove The Future Is Now
7. Solar System-Wide Wi-Fi
It’s been a crazy day. You finally escape the office and run down to your local coffee shop to recharge over the latest movie trailers or a quick episode on Netflix. Except the video keeps loading… and loading… and loading…
On the list of first world problems, a crappy internet connection comes near the top. A study by UK broadband analysis firm Epitiro shows that 30% of data speed can be lost over Wi-Fi networks. The problem? Plenty of interference from things ranging from microwave ovens to people standing between you and the router.
In space, signal blocking obstacles are more formidable (read: space shuttles and planets). To combat these Netflix-thwarting headaches, NASA teamed up with Google’s Dr. Vinton Cerf to develop Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN). Instead of streaming bit by bit, DTN stores data when a connection is interrupted then forwards it through relay stations (“nodes”) when the connection becomes available again. The final message is reassembled at the final destination. This may be a ground station on Earth, a robotic spacecraft exploring Europa, or human colonists on Mars. Fortunately, this invention didn’t come out before The Martian, or we’d have spent 2 hours watching Mark Watney update his Facebook page and stream funny cat videos on YouTube.
The first node in what will eventually be Solar System-wide internet is the International Space Station. Presumably, the astronauts will be using it for nobler purposes than catching up on Game of Thrones.