NASA SAYS NEW NANO-SATTELITE PROJECT IN THE WORKS

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and m2mi Corp., Moffett Field, Calif., announced Thursday they are taking a revolutionary step forward in improving telecommunications and networking from space.

NASA Ames and m2mi, (machine-to-machine intelligence),will work together to develop very small satellites, called nanosats, for the commercialization of space. NASA has reached only two such cooperative research and development agreements of this kind in the past.

The definition of a "nanosatellite" or "nanosat" is usually applied to the name of an artificial satellite with a wet mass between 1 and 10 kg (2.2–22 lb). Again designs and proposed designs of these types usually have multiple nanosatellites working together or in formation (sometimes the term "swarm" is applied). Some designs require a larger "mother" satellite for communication from space with ground controllers or for launching and docking with nanosatellites. (wikipedia.org)

The goal of this new project says NASA Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden is:
“To work with companies to develop a new economy in space. m2mi has great technology that fits excellently with our goals, while enhancing the commercial use of NASA-developed technologies."

NASA and m2mi combined efforts are to develop a fifth generation telecommunica-tions and networking system for Internet protocol-based and related services. The cooperative effort will combine NASA's expertise in nanosensors, wireless networks and nanosatellite technologies with m2mi's unique capabilities in software technology, sensors, global system awareness, adaptive control and commercialization ca-pabilities. Fifth Generation, or 5G, incorporates Voice Over Internet Protocol, (VOIP), video, data, wireless, and an integrated machine-to-machine intelligence layer, or m2mi, for seamless information exchange and use.

“This initiative shows great promise in revolutionizing mobile communications critical in meeting future needs," said Badri Younes, NASA deputy associate ad-ministrator for Space Communications and Navigation. "This project also will leverage m2mi's capabilities in software expertise to automate global system awareness and provide intelligent adaptive control.”

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