Space Surfing?

It is with no little interest I read this morning that the Defense Department is planning on deploying an internet router into orbit by early 2009.  (See the full BBC News story here.)

The Iris Project will initially be for military communications, but may well be used for extending the net into outer space for commercial communications purposes.

Now as out there as this sounds, it seems (to me at least) a natural extension of what is becoming the most pervasive, essential and core technology the world has ever known.

Already the net - and sites like this - have almost completely replaced the traditional print magazines that many industries have relied on. Large newspapers are feeling the impact of real-time web based news, and the impact is not good for their bottom line. (Full disclosure here - I am the CEO of Digital Media Online, who publishes over 100 daily web news sites for various industries, as well as being the company who operates the Blog Zone.)

I am a fervent believer in the power of the net to educate and inform. I also believe strongly in the commercial power of the net. Consider how it is affecting (and hopefully improving) your life: smart phones, iPhones, PDA's, Tablet PCs, internet TV, internet Radio, downloadable media, podcasts, internet jukeboxes, blogs, websites, news sites, instant messaging and of course email. 

In ways large and small this Age of Communication is transforming societies, governments, industries, businesses and our leisure time. So it should come as no surprise the technology will move into orbit and beyond. I don't know what new wonders and cool gadgets this space based net will create, but I willing to bet that it will be important, fun, and ultimately profound.

Posted at 11:33AM Apr 13, 2007 by Lou Wallace in Science & Technology  |