Exploration with Cloud Computing

Did you hear of "Cloud Computing"?

Cloud computing is the system which enormous computers comprise. The computers in the system cooperate and work flexibly. The users can save their data in the storage server on the internet. They can also use applications served by other computers. Up to now, applications and data have been saved in the personal computer. With cloud computing, however, they do not have to install applications into their computers. That is, your PC works as just a browser. Because the system looks as if the users draw services from the cloud, the system is called "Cloud Computing." One of the advantages of cloud computing is that the users do not have to care about the management of the computers which provide services such as storage servers.


Recently, this new technology is supporting space exploration.

Mars Rovers Mission Using Cloud Computing
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-366&cid=release_2010-366&msource=2010366A&tr=y&auid=7288223

Actually, the scientist of the mission use cloud computing. This mission was planed to take several months; nevertheless, it has been working for 6 years. As a result, there is a tremendous amount of data from Mars, and they have to storage and analyze it. But a big scale of servers and the people who analyze the data are necessary. With cloud computing, they can save a lot of data without caring about the size of the storage because other people manage the storage servers. In addition, many people can work as analyzer of the data.

For example, NASA established the group of analyzers. The people in the group become "Martians" and analyze the data from Mars. NASA can gather many people, and general people can join space exploration. So both of them have advantages.
If you are interested in the group, you should join it.

Be A Martian!
http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/welcome


Cloud computing seems to have more potentiality.