We recently reported on Google’s space-bound expedition, where they sent their newly “launched” Nexus S phones to about 19 miles above the earth. Now, Google has gotten back to us with some stunning photos (like the one above), a killer video, and some recorded data from the phones.
We mentioned in our previous entry that the Nexus S phones were running their sensors, as well as a number of apps. Google has now been a tad more specific: The Nexus S devices were running Google Maps so their approximate drift could be seen, the Sky Map so stars captured in pictures and video could be identified, their Latitude program so they could find the phones again, and a custom application that ran sensor data, took picture, and ran some video.
Now that the phones have been retrieved and the data has been sorted, we know a lot more about our Android astronauts. The highest one peaked past twenty miles directly up, and devices drifted as much as about 200 miles. Of course, this distance wouldn’t have been too hard to cover, since the fastest a device was clocked at was 139 miles per hour.
The experiment also taught us about GPS devices, which can apparently continue to work with moderate accuracy up to about twelve miles into the air. The device also proved its durability, since they managed to face down temperatures of negative fifty degrees Celsius, and withstood a rapidly paced journey that lasted nearly three hours.
Those interested in finding out more about the entire experiment, including how to replicate it with your own Nexus S device, can visit the site set up specifically for Google’s near space experiment. The site also contains in-depth data and some stunning pics.
