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Linux In Space: Red Hat Rides The Rocket
neiljt writes "BBC News
have a
piece
on NASA experiments to use IP for space missions. The article is a little low-tech, but more details available from NASA (OMNI).
Is this the first Red Hat in space?" It's worth pointing out as well that Debian made the ride nearly six years ago. Still, great news.
"The project will allow mission scientists to use a standard web browser to monitor spacecraft and to swap data with them or their crew."
So what happens when 7337 HaXorz find the conveniently unsercured web interface which lets them control the shuttle robot arm?
It seems NASA had a Flight Linux project that ended in June 2002. Interestingly enough, they link back to slashdot in their publications listing.
The United States government favors Microsoft products while NASA favors Linux? Hah. Which organization would you trust your tax dollars with more?
You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
As I am sure you know, the only reason NASA ever use "older" tech is because they know the bugs in those systems, they know what can go wrong and therefore can work aroudn it. Dependability and reliablity is more important than the MHz or RAM. So quite why they are using anything to do with teh Net is beyond me, could you imagine it... "Houston, we have a problem... we can't get Pron, could you check the connetcion please!"
How can you say that civilisation's do not advance... in every war we invent new ways to kill you.
OK. Can we get this straight, please? IP!=Internet. There are these little things on the internet called routers. They allow traffic to pass between things called 'networks'. A router on a network is an OPTIONAL thing. Without a router connected to to The Internet(tm), THERE AIN'T NOBODY GETTING IN. Moving to standard IP is a _good_ thing. It allows them to use 'standard' tools. Rather than writing everything from scratch. I wouldn't even think that they'll be implementing this in 'mission critical systems' until after it's been tested for a _long_ time. Sheesh. I know hackers and script kiddies are an irritant, but NASA ain't all that stupid.
They have good reason not to use bleeding-edge technology, similar to the military still using 486 and early Pentium processors in things like the F-22.
The electronics are probably radiation-hardened, and tested up the wazoo (if not mathematically proven correct) before being allowed in the Shuttle. This is what makes the space program so expensive.
And Nasa isn't the 'bureau of trailblazing technology'. They used to be, because the things they did weren't possible with then-current technology. Today, you don't need to 'invent the wheel' to go into space anymore, it's been done.
In the case of Debian, it was simply controlling an experiment in the shuttle, whereas now it's being tested as part of the communications system for the ship itself.
BTW, that astronaut lady looks cute. Too bad they couldn't get a better picture of her.
"Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and have everyone else mirror it." -- Linus Torvalds
Are you so sure about that? One thing that I can say about "70's computing" is that due to the limitations of the hardware they had at the time, the code is much smaller, much more thought over/looked over, and therefore has a propensity to contain far fewer bugs.
It's like saying that we're better off using Excel 2003 than VisiCalc 1979, even though they both do the same basic job.
I could see how there are cases where you need the extra computing power or speed for certain jobs, and maybe thats all they're doing here?
Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
also was launched into space (or near?), even by linux fans. Sky is not as far as it used to be.
and contrary to analog radio transmission which are prone to interferences and background noise/hiss, VOIP actually makes a lot of sense in space. All it requires is a data channel with limited bandwidth (64kbits is plentiful) but short delay, and the voice quality is just as good as with a regular phone call.
Maybe NASA saw in IP a cheaper alternative for astronauts to get pr0n than having to fly (heavier) tabloid magazines to space? :->
budget cut backs must be really hurting them if they're sending that computer to space
So what makes you think they didn't consider faster processors?
For all you (and I) know NASA could have performed tests indicating that modern 3Ghz prosessors are more prone to bit errors caused by radiation in space than older processors.
The difference in cost between a fast prosessor and a 233Mhz on isn't likely to affect the budget of a space shuttle launch, (hell, the 233 may be a custom job and cost more for all we know) so I expect that when nasa engineers went for the slower one they had a damn good reason
Besides the computer is supposed to be used for transferring data back to NASA, how much processor do you need for that? It's not like they'll be recompiling their kernel a lot in orbit is there?
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i'd love to see the traceroute output on that one ;).
smd4985
"Redhat rides NASAs Rocket"
"Debian eats NASAs pineapple"
"Mandrake tries to put the pin back in."
Outdoor digital photography, mostly in New Engl
Back in the early 90s Nasa flew the Macintosh Portable (a bulky 13lb pre powerbook brute) on the shuttle. I remember that one of the more humourous issues dealt with the macs power eject of floppy disks. In Earth's gravity, the floppy catches on the edge of drive, so that it stops partway out. In space, when the floppy was unmounted, it flew accross the compartment.
Atlas stands on the earth and carries the celestial sphere on his shoulders.
One might consider the task of engineering current technology to withstand difficult environments to be just as hi-tech and valid as merely getting the most Ghz out of a chip.
Nasa uses 2/386's because radiation effects these chips wider transistor paths MUCH less than the current 2.4 GHZ models. There are several orders of magnitudes difference in the size of those internal chip traces. The smaller the path, the more solar radiation affects it.
Want to see every step I took to start my company? http://www.rowdylabs.com/blogs/pitchtothegods