Former NASA engineer and YouTube personality Mark Rober is launching a satellite into orbit that can take photos of people’s portraits with the planet Earth as background. The satellite, set to be launched by SpaceX in January 2025, will use two cameras and two Google Pixel phones mounted on either side of the satellite.
Rober has offered to take selfies with anyone who tells him their location, which he will then photograph using the satellite. He claims that the person can go outside during the photo shoot and get in the shot twice. However, there is a catch: users must subscribe to CrunchLabs, an engineering kit company, for free access to the satellite’s code.
Existing T-Mobile subscribers and Google Pixel customers can also receive codes through their respective apps. The codes will be available starting December 3rd on spaceselfie.com. Users will need to upload their selfie to redeem the code, after which they will receive an email with tracking information on when their photo will be taken.
Rober’s team has installed a flywheel in the satellite to help it change positions depending on its action, solving a unique problem of facing multiple directions simultaneously for solar energy collection and self-take. The satellite will start taking photos a few months after its launch, but details remain scarce, as Rober acknowledges that this is “a total gimmick.”
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/29/24309059/earth-selfie-satellite-mark-rober-youtube-spacex-tmobile