[Satellite TODAY 03-04-13] The first satellite powered by a Google Nexus One smartphone is successfully working from its orbit. The United Kingdom Space Agency’s STRaND-1 was launched on Feb. 25 to serve as a spaceflight training and technology demonstration mission. 

   The nanosatellite STRaND-1 is the world’s first “phonesat.” It combines its Google Nexus One Android-powered smartphone core with a Linux-based high-speed processor in order to control itself.

   STRaND-1 was built by Surrey Space Center and Surrey Satellite Technology, weighs just 9.4 pounds, and is approximately 12 inches long by 4 inches wide. It is equipped with two new space propulsion systems. Its WARP DRiVE systems (short for Water Alcohol Resistojet Propulsion De-orbit Re-entry Velocity Experiment), which will test a new way to intentionally destroy a satellite at the end of a mission by performing maneuvers that force the satellite to fall out of orbit. And the second system is a set of eight electric "pulsed plasma thrusters" that will be tested during the mission, according to Surrey.

   "This is a great example of the innovative approach that you can take with cubesats to develop and prove low cost commercial technologies for space while at the same time proving an exciting way of training and developing engineering skills," UK Space Agency’s Chris Castelli, acting director of science, technology and exploration, said in a statement.