The Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) experiment is a testbed consisting of three 8-inch-diameter (200 mm) miniaturized satellites that can operate in a variety of environments, including inside the International Space Station (ISS). The MIT Space Systems Laboratory developed the experiment to provide the Air Force and NASA with a long term, replenishable, and upgradable testbed for formation flight. It will be used to validate high risk control, metrology, and autonomy technologies. The technologies are critical to the operation of distributed satellite and docking missions such as TechSat21, Starlight, Terrestrial Planet Finder, and Orbital Express. The SPHERES concept was inspired by the Training Remotes from Star Wars.
Read more about SPHERES: Description, Timeline, See Also
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—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)
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—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)