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Open Source Satellite Control

Posted by michael on from the many-hands-make-light-work dept.

Debra writes "Have you ever wondered how you harness a satellite control system written in three languages, on four development platforms, and deployed to multiple client environments? With open source, naturally. When one wrong move can cost millions, you must rely on teamwork, smart design, and open standards to keep the project -- if not the satellite -- from going down in flames. This article covers software engineering basics, taking advantage of outside solutions, and scripting multi-million-dollar manuvers."

5 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. BSOD=Blazing Satellite Of Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Did I see a Windows screenshot? Fer crissakes, people. If you want a decent satellite ops program, use OASIS. CCSDS compliant, multi-mission, multi-terminal, UN*X-based... None of this Java and Windows namby-pamby ops software. Yeesh.

  2. Open source space tools by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3, Funny
    I highly recommend the excellent and Free (as in love) GNU metric2imperial library if you are planning something ambitious like a Mars mission. It can really reduce the possiblity of a miscommunication with your subcontractors.

    Example:

    met2imp --len=fathoms --vol=pecks --mass=apothecary_oz < trajectory.ps > new_trajectory.ps
  3. Scripting Wars by moertle · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... I wonder if the developers fought over which scripting language to use for those million-dollar manuevers, PERL or Python?

    --
    I hold a patent on sigs...
  4. Why not just... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    why not just use Windows ME? It'll work.... hehehe, bastards.

  5. Perl and Mars Probes by QuantumWeasel · · Score: 1, Funny

    Speaking of the benefits of Open Source for high-risk missions, perhaps that Mars probe would have fared better if only management had chosen to use Perl with the freely available Math::Units module!