Technology
Astronauts to WhatsApp mates and watch Netflix on the MOON within a decade thanks to Brit satellite firm
ASTRONAUTS could soon be watching Netflix on the Moon and chatting to their friends via WhatsApp.
That’s according to Inmarsat, a British satellite company that’s planning on building a lunar telecoms network within the next decade.
The ESA has big plans for a lunar satellite network[/caption]
According to The Times, Nick Shave, vice-president of strategic programmes at Inmarsat, said: “The level of satellite technology we have on Earth, we will be transferring to this mission.
“And so you could envisage getting Netflix and you’ll certainly be getting WhatsApp on the moon.”
Inmarsat is just one of the companies that has plans to put satellites in orbit around the Moon that will enable GPS tech and internet access.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has been asking satellite companies to propose ideas for Moon satellites.
Astronauts could be tuning into Netflix from space within the next decade[/caption]
The aim for astronauts “to enjoy the same digital connectivity” we have on Earth.
Nasa is hoping to send another man and the first woman to the Moon in a 2024 mission, with many more planned for this decade.
Those astronauts might be able to connect with Earth in a way no human space explorer has ever done before.
The ESA is calling the Moon satellite project Moonlight.
There’s also plans to build an astronaut home that orbits the Moon called the Gateway.
Gateway will allow for longer missions and will act similar to the International Space Station.
Eventually, the floating base could even help humans reach Mars by being a stop off point.
Construction on Gateway could begin as early as next year.
The ESA is hoping the Moonlight satellites will be working by 2028 so astronauts will be able to have constant contact with Earth.
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Most read in Science
In other space news, a solar storm that could shut down radio signals and cause navigation blackouts might be heading our way.
China’s Mars rover has landed on the Red Planet after a treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute in “seven minutes of terror”.
And, Nasa has released historic first audio recordings captured on the surface of Mars.
Would you like to watch Netflix in space? Let us know in the comments…
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