An IT guru from Midlands based company Black Pepper Software is about to become one of the first app designers to have his work orbit the earth, as Surrey Satellite Technology Limited prepares to launch a smartphone into space.

As a member of the not-for-profit organisation AMSAT-UK, Black Pepper's resident 'rocket scientist' has been involved with developing software for amateur satellites for more than 20 years, and his latest contribution is a data warehouse for the STRaND-1 project which will see a smartphone-powered satellite leave the atmosphere.

The app was chosen from a number of entries to the 'Space App Competition' which was launched by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) who is sponsoring the Strand-1 NanoSatellite Mission.

Based on the work carried out by the FUNcube team, another AMSAT-UK project, the space app will collect measurements and data from within STRaND-1 and display it graphically on the Google smartphone attached to the satellite. The display is observed by an on-board camera and the images are transmitted to earth on amateur radio frequencies so people on the ground can monitor the progress of the project.

As one of only four winners to have their work feature on STRaND-1, Black Pepper Software are pleased to support their 'rocket scientist' in making use of the skills he's acquired in mobile development through his 'day-job'. 

Adam Wright, head of Solutions at Black Pepper Software, said "we always support our developers in their extra-curricular activities, and the fact that our 'rocket scientist' is using his talents to get smartphone apps to orbit the planet in his spare time gives me a huge sense of pride. We wish him and the rest of the STRaND-1 team all the best as we countdown to take-off."

STRaND-1 System Engineer Shaun Kenyon commented: "After some tough judging, we've chosen the four winning Apps and are really excited about what they will do in space. The Apps make full use of the phone, meaning that we'll see some pretty cool stuff that hasn't been done before". 

It is only fitting that a member of Black Pepper Software has been given the honour of traversing the skies, as the company has recently developed the first ever location based business network app to help visitors find their way round exhibitions, events and shopping centres here on earth. The terrestrial version is known as Companion, and is set to revolutionise the way humans navigate and interact with venues on the ground. Now, this new extra-terrestrial app will help AMSAT-UK and other amateur scientists navigate the skies too.

For more information about Black Pepper Ltd, please visit their website here: www.blackpepper.co.uk