Clarion automotive A/V gear headed into space

It looks like Clarion is about to get some considerable new bragging rights (shared only by the likes of Tang), as some of its automotive A/V gear has recently been approved by NASA and is now awaiting deployment into space. That includes the company's RX935VD in-dash multimedia center and VCZ625 6-disc DVD changer, each of which have been fitted into a specially designed unit and will soon be used to entertain crew members on the International Space Station. As Clarion points out, that makes those the first car A/V components to be installed in the ISS, with their reliance 12 volt automotive systems (the same voltage as the space station) working largely in their favor. No word on an exact launch date just yet, but the gear is now ready and waiting in Star City for the next available spot to free up.

[Via audiojunkies]

[ciscoguerrero @ Dec 21st 2007 12:34PM]

Allrighty Then. the lack of pr0n in space was holding me back for applying into the space program. Now I can. Awesome.

[Unlogic @ Dec 21st 2007 12:35PM]

Why not just play the movies on a laptop or computer? ...I'm sure that they must have a few up there...

[SuperPrime @ Dec 21st 2007 6:07PM]

Laptops (and most electronics today) don't work very well in space. Most of the stuff must be specially designed.

Do a search. A whole number of factors including radiation stop them from working

[Unlogic @ Dec 21st 2007 6:13PM]

Yea but I thought the station was sheilded so that the radiation wouldn't harm the astronauts!?

[DonatoM3 @ Dec 21st 2007 12:36PM]

And this whole time I thought the guys up in the space station just stole sattelite tv.

[Luis @ Dec 21st 2007 3:12PM]

They don't just steal sattelite TV, they steal the whole sattelite!! Get it?

ROFLCOPTER!!!!

[Carbonize @ Dec 21st 2007 12:41PM]

In space nobody can hear you partay.

[paragraph @ Dec 21st 2007 12:43PM]

Not that i wan't to be a stick in the mud, but arn't they there to work? and do, you know, research... how is watching DVD's research?

What do we pay them for anyways?

[Don @ Dec 21st 2007 1:14PM]

Yeah... why would we afford them the luxury of an 8 hour workday like the rest of us (in the US anyway).

Your comment is just ignorant.

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 1:39PM]

It's enough to ask someone to spend weeks in a tight confined space with bad smells, bad air, bad food, poor hygiene, foreign folk, no friends or family, minimal human interaction (oh shit, no sex), and still make "space age" discoveries. Why not let them chill out to a movie once and a while.

[NHAnimator @ Dec 21st 2007 1:53PM]

What do you mean "no sex"?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2000/feb/24/spaceexploration.internationalnews1

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 3:23PM]

Touche!

[4honor @ Dec 21st 2007 3:31PM]

Let's see you work 24/7 for a while, then we will see what you have to say.

[paragraph @ Dec 21st 2007 3:57PM]

i'm not saying that it isn't important to be entertained, but why spend so much money this way? clearly if this works in space, most any DVD player will work in space. Why not send up a few portable DVD players, some velcro, etc.

I'm not being ignorant, I just don't see the point in sending this up...

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 4:23PM]

The Clarion built units that are already 12v, ready withstand adverse conditions (driving), and they're probably eager to donate the units as a marketing ploy.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 21st 2007 12:48PM]

the lack of air circulation in a space shuttle causes a simple gadget like a plug in clock, laptop computer or xbox360 to emit enough heat to fry the cabin like an egg.

Therefore, it speaks volumes to the designe of this device if NASA allows it to be in the shuttle cabin.

As for "pron" on the space shuttle, there's no point simply because
#1 you wouldn' be able to keep enough blood in your p3nis to masturbate (zero gravity) and #2 the constant lubrication of such would be TREMENDOUSLY hard (no pun intended)

I often wondered how much force an ejaculat3 would hit the wall of a shuttle with if it was fired in 0g's.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 21st 2007 1:16PM]

So you've tried satisfying yourself in the ISS and it didn't work out, or are you just trying your hardest to sound smart?

[Joe Maki @ Dec 21st 2007 3:19PM]

>>#1 you wouldn' be able to keep enough blood in your p3nis to masturbate (zero gravity)


Not a requirement for orgasm or ejaculation, just a conveience :)

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 3:20PM]

Bull$#!7. The space station as well as the space shuttle have temperature controls. 5 human beings puts out way more thermal energy than an effing Xbox. You don't think there's systems in place to control temperature?

WTF does gravity have to do with blood flow to the penis?! Take a physiology class. An erection is a muscle contraction due to increased blood pressure mixed with a constriction of blood vessels. Unless you're 90, gravity has no effect.

Just because the environment has minimal gravity (it's not "0g") it doesn't mean it's a vacuum. Ejaculate would hit the wall with less force than if you pointed to the floor on earth.

This is like the 10th time you've tried to sound smart and ended up looking like a jackass. Chickey check yoself in the future, no one's buying your b.s.

[The_Steven @ Dec 21st 2007 12:50PM]

And the FM reception would be...... oh yeah, line of sight.

[Carl M @ Dec 21st 2007 1:41PM]

Line of sight up to space ought to be pretty good. Bigger problem may be that transmission antennas mostly radiate horizontally.

[Charlie Calhoun @ Dec 21st 2007 4:40PM]

Even then, you will be able to see much the the surface of the earth. If it were line of sight, the ISS would have a heck of a time trying to sort out all the different stations using the same frequency across the globe.

[marc @ Dec 21st 2007 12:51PM]

launch date. haha.

[Alexander @ Dec 21st 2007 1:07PM]

This is simply weighty garbage for the space station... In such places movies must be streamed from the net on at least massively stored on a HDD.

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 3:24PM]

Flashpoint: No, let's just say you're a pathological liar.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 21st 2007 1:21PM]

lets say I work in an industry where this type of knowledge is studied/researched. You weren't here for my comments on Fusion power I suppose.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 21st 2007 3:08PM]

Yeah I can use Wikipedia with the best of them too.

[Shane @ Dec 21st 2007 1:30PM]

Kudos to Clarion. Their gear is top notch. I generally prefer Alpine gear but this is cool nonetheless.

[pk386 @ Dec 21st 2007 2:22PM]

I've owned 1 clarion and purchased one for a GF (now my wife) and I've owned an alpine. I liked my alpine better but I can't complain about the clarion.

[Shane @ Dec 21st 2007 1:44PM]

Quit spamming and quit using my name, JERK!

[Carl M @ Dec 21st 2007 1:51PM]

So will the DVD player be region free? This is the International Space Station, after all. (Will the DVD Consortium let them get away with that?)

[fabioye @ Dec 21st 2007 2:29PM]

Do you think they will ever upgrade to Blu-Ray?

[alexhrose71 @ Dec 21st 2007 2:35PM]

So are they on the Netflix or Blockbuster plan ?

[Joe Maki @ Dec 21st 2007 3:20PM]

What, no 8 track? Aren't they still using 386 processors on the shuttle?

[Joe Maki @ Dec 21st 2007 3:22PM]

Just get them a subscription to Dish.

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 3:23PM]

Let's say you're a pathological liar.

[Bombaclaat @ Dec 21st 2007 3:29PM]

pimp my space station.

[phil @ Dec 21st 2007 3:41PM]

hahaha i hgave that dvd player in my car wooooo

[TimB @ Dec 21st 2007 7:03PM]

That would be a great marketing scheme for Clarion.

[Walt @ Dec 21st 2007 7:18PM]

OK, I'm stupid...why won't a few iPods and a set of speakers work just fine and save weight to boot?

[Dave @ Dec 21st 2007 10:50PM]

Hope they buy the extended warranty with in-home service....

[Ron @ Dec 21st 2007 11:00PM]

I am a contract worker at NASA, and I can tell you that they already watch movies aboard the station. The agency uploads 'em as part of a data stream to the station's computer. I've sat in the MCC (mission control center) and watched a crew member watching a movie. Now as to whether ripping that movie and sending it up violated the DMCA, well, that's an amusing question, now isn't it?

[osmlabs @ Dec 22nd 2007 2:20PM]

Having spoken directly with the person involved in making the arrangements let me explain that the decision to put those specific products into the space station was made based on a comparison of available products an not because they were free.

Yes, the Marketing guys at Clarion have jumped all over the opportunity, but the decision was made based on performance during testing..

visit http://www.clarion.com/us/en/top.html to see a few more details.

This sets a new 'bar' for people wanting product for their demo vehicles - you guys aren't going to be able to top this!