The PRETTY cubesat, run by a consortium including ESA, played Doom after a voice command from a tiny ground station, Space.com reports. It’s billed as the first demonstration of orbital voice control. (Different from the IBM mainframe ASCII Doom I wrote about yesterday.)
- Tanagra Space supplied the software. OPS-SAT Space Lab managed the experiment for ESA.
- Radio amateurs in Norway’s Oslo Group made it work on the seventh try, after six failed passes over Poland and Norway. About 59 days and roughly $775, pizza included.
- The serious point: one day a satellite might hear “mayday” or “help” on a radio and alert rescue services.
My take
Doom in orbit by shouting at a cubesat is peak “because we can.” The distress-call angle is the part that actually matters.
God Bless, and May the Source Be with You!
