Will A Cell Phone Work In Space

Cellphones, hey? We all say nosotros need to spend less fourth dimension on them. Or at least, that nosotros want to spend less time on them. Merely they've become such a fundamental tool in our everyday life that we merely seem to find that screen time racking upwards and up. So, practice astronauts get a gamble for a cellphone detox up in space? Can they send a text message? Check their email? Or use their favorite app? Does Apple send them special phones with a 'spaceflight mode'? Allow's discover out!

So, tin astronauts use cellphones in space? They can, but they won't be much use, nor will they last long. Phone calls and text messaging would not be possible because the phones are then out of range from Earth. The presence of a telephone on the infinite station could also be a gamble due to their susceptibility to interfering with radio communications. And to meridian information technology off, it would destroy itself anyway.

So with all these factors in listen, information technology makes yous wonder what NASA'southward policy really is on them?

It might not come as much of a surprise, but…

Can You Bring A Cell Telephone To Infinite?

NASA do not let astronauts to bring their cellphones to infinite. If they did sneak it up without their permission, it probably wouldn't concluding long anyhow.

On Earth, cellphones remain at a safe temperature through conduction and convection cooling.

Phones carry out this process by utilizing air pressure on Earth.

As nosotros know, up in space, there is nowhere near equally much air pressure.

Cellphones are therefore without their most important self-protection power.

The inadequate cooling it can provide itself will inevitably lead to the phone destroying itself through excessive oestrus levels.

Information technology's not just the excessive heat that is an issue either.

The weather condition of space are either one extreme or the other.

Whilst you and the space station you are based on are in directly sunlight, temperatures tin reach 120 degrees celsius.

And then pretty hot.

But, when you're not within directly sunlight, the temperature can be equally cold as -270.4 degrees celsius.

And so yep, things are pretty extreme upward in that location.

And freezing temperatures are also not good for cellphones.

In cold conditions on Earth, bear on screens can stop working, and batteries will drain incredibly quickly.

Accept it up to unimaginably freezing conditions in space; then it's safe to say that those problems would worsen.

So, whatever way y'all look at it, your cellphone will fall victim to the farthermost estrus or extreme cold up in infinite.

It's just a case of which one gets to it get-go!

Is this a trouble? If you desire to play your favorite iPhone game, then aye, it is.

However, I don't think y'all'd be too bothered when you're up amongst the mesmerizing stars.

The game tin can wait.

Astronauts are provided with laptops and computers that tin can fulfill a cellphone'southward chief purposes, fifty-fifty without 4G and 5G.

Do Phones Piece of work In Space?

It depends what for. If we're talking about making a call or sending a text message, then no, phones practice not work in space.

E'er been somewhere where you lot tin't become any bespeak?

Perhaps at the top of a mountain?

Or at a music festival?

Or in a room with thick walls?

You seem so out of touch with the world, and there's just no hope of ever getting information technology back.

Well, there'southward more hope in those places than there is in infinite.

Why?

Well, space is much further away from the cell towers which humans have built beyond the surface of our planet.

These towers apply phased array focusing and directional antennas that focus radio free energy on the World's surface.

Therefore, in that location isn't much radio energy going up into space.

Think near it like this. Practise you get any signal when you're on a airplane?

No. So, you definitely don't get whatsoever when you're upward in infinite.

Of course, if you did take a telephone up into space, yous could still access the features that your phone uses without needing any bespeak, whether that's using the flashlight, writing downward notes, or only adjusting the settings.

But astronauts will have more suitable utensils to behave out such activities.

Besides, if you did utilize your phone up in space for any reason, we now know you won't exist doing it for very long.

As discussed higher up, your phone would quickly overheat and destroy itself or get likewise cold and stop working!

Tin Astronauts Brand Telephone Calls From Space?

Astronauts can make telephone calls from space. Except, they couldn't make i with a regular cellphone. Instead, they have special phones to make those calls dorsum to Earth.

A standard cellphone won't suffice in space, unfortunately.

As we've discussed above, space is out of range from the Earth'due south cell towers.

Astronauts are therefore unable to make calls from space with their cellphones as they don't accept whatsoever signal up in that location.

Although they can't use a cellphone, Astronauts still accept to make regular calls and likewise nourish video conferences from the space station.

They even have to send emails!

So, how is all of this possible?

Astronauts are provided with an IP phone which works through a computer on the station.

As long every bit they accept the right satellite coverage, they can make the necessary phone calls.

Wondering what an IP Phone is? Don't worry. I'll explain.

An IP phone is different from a normal phone because it uses an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

In dissimilarity, a normal phone uses a public switched telephone network.

IP phones also utilize phonation-over IP technologies when placing and transmitting calls over the network.

All of which is very piece of cake to do for an astronaut upwardly in the space station.

Luckily for them and NASA, in that location isn't an extraterrestrial network that charges obscene amounts of money per minute of your call time.

How Practice Astronauts Stay In Contact With Earth?

Astronauts use an IP phone to stay in contact with Earth. NASA also uses a network of communication satellites and ground-based antennas to remain in constant contact with their people up amongst the stars.

With the space station being quite far above the Earth'southward atmosphere, information technology means it crosses the horizon every 4 minutes!

It is therefore nearly impossible to track by using just ground stations.

So, NASA has a pocket-sized network of satellites that maintain constant communication between the ground satellites and the ones orbiting Earth.

It is through this network that astronauts tin can send data, similar images or videos, dorsum down to their support team station on World.

And this is a pretty solid connexion that works well!

How Practice Astronauts Communicate With Loved Ones?

Astronauts communicate with their loved ones via an IP phone.

Astronauts tin dial any number they like using a computer keyboard.

Once they have dialed the number, the betoken is sent approximately xc,000 miles away by a communication satellite.

They can then communicate with their loved ones through a headset and microphone.

That is unless the other person back on Earth doesn't pick upwardly!

Once they have their loved ones on the telephone, they can talk to them similar a normal phone telephone call.

Although, due to the sheer distance betwixt the advice signal, there is a delay of about a second.

In that location are some times of the day when making a phone telephone call might prove to be a petty more difficult.

Phone signals from the space station are frequently sent via a frequency of satellite transmission called Ku Band.

At sure moments in time, the infinite station will exist out of range of this satellite.

The station itself can also disrupt the signal if role of information technology is blocking the way during orbit.

Other than this, making a recollect to your family unit is relatively easy for an astronaut.

In the past, astronauts could not telephone call their loved ones directly.

They just communicated straight to mission command back on Earth.

If they wanted to speak with their family, mission command would accept to patch them in via a public telephone network.

At present, astronauts accept more convenience and privacy when calling their loved ones as they can call them direct from the station'due south IP telephone.

Not only do astronauts accept user-friendly ways of communicating, merely they besides have leisurely ways too.

An IP phone, as we know, uses an internet protocol network.

Yep, that's right. The cyberspace. The very same ane nosotros apply dorsum on Earth.

This ways that astronauts tin can transport emails, as we've already realized, but they tin likewise communicate via social media.

And so, the next fourth dimension you tweet an astronaut, call back, you could be having a chat with someone upwards in infinite.

Or if they don't reply (sorry if that'due south the case), then I gauge it wouldn't be a conversation more similar you getting left on reading by someone up in space.

Finally

Cellphones aren't built for the extreme atmospheric condition of space, unfortunately.

So, we'll keep them here on World….for at present.

Methods of communication between Earth and its astronauts take improved greatly, to the betoken where it'south equally easy as calling your grandma upwards on a Sunday morning.

And then, while they don't have cellphones per se, they certainly tin can and do stay in contact with their families back here on World.

Wondering what else astronauts can and cannot do? Then my other guides may exist of interest:

Can Astronauts Sentry TV In Space?
Can Astronauts Use Net In Space?
Tin can Astronauts Have Tattoos?
Tin can Astronauts Fume In Infinite?
Can Astronauts Drinkable Alcohol In Space?
Can Astronauts Burp In Space?
Can Astronauts Fart In Infinite?
Can Astronauts Wear Glasses?
Can Astronauts Run into Stars In Space?

Hey, my name is Chris. I'm a passionate and seasoned astronomer who loves null more than observing the night sky. I likewise dear researching, learning, and writing all things Space and the Universe. I created Astronomy Scope to share my knowledge, experience, suggestions, and recommendations of what I have learned along the way while helping anyone to go into and maximize their enjoyment of the hobby.