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The 100-Million Mile Network

Posted by michael on from the long-ping-times dept.

mykepredko writes "eWeek has an article on the network and radio topography of the two Mars rovers and how they communicate with satellites in Mars' orbit as well as the Earth. The article ends by giving four rules for maintaining a space network, a) Automate processes, b) Bulletproof your gear, c) Be persistent and d) Simulate potential problems, which are probably good rules for any network."

24 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. e.) ... by jwthompson2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    NEVER! BUT NEVER! Install Windows unless you want openly relayed spam from space!

    --
    Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. -Martin Luther
    1. Re:e.) ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      anti-MS..... check...
      poor grammar..... check...
      first post...... check...

      oh heck it MUST be funny.

  2. Rule Z: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Never have a public webpage that can be linked to from Slashdot.

  3. Good tips by GlassUser · · Score: 5, Funny

    b) Bulletproof your gear

    I'd think micrometeorite-proofing my gear would be more useful.

    --
    funny munging
  4. Yeah right by Deraj+DeZine · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't RTFA, but it sounds like they're just running ethernet cables (or OC12 or whatever) to Mars. Didn't they stop to think that the planets move? Ridiculous! The ESA and NASA really need to get their acts together.

    --
    True story.
    1. Re:Yeah right by FooGoo · · Score: 4, Funny

      You've never heard of bungee earthernet? It's the new standard.

      --
      People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them
    2. Re:Yeah right by kisrael · · Score: 4, Funny

      Could they make that space elevator on top of that? That would be useful, just don't get out on the floor expecting "ladies' lingerie" when its actually "hard, lung popping vacuum and solar radiation".

      --
      SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
  5. They teach parenting too... by Beolach · · Score: 4, Funny

    Replace 'spacecraft' with 'child'...

    "The most difficult thing is to know how to talk to the spacecraft when you're getting no response from it," says Douglas J. Mudgway

    --
    Join moola.com, play games to earn money.
  6. wow thanks by Brahmastra · · Score: 5, Funny
    The article ends by giving four rules for maintaining a space network, a) Automate processes, b) Bulletproof your gear, c) Be persistent and d) Simulate potential problems, which are probably good rules for any network."
    I'm going to try this out on my space network immediately
  7. is that still considered WAN? by Munden · · Score: 5, Funny

    MWAN - Multi-World Area Network i guess....

  8. b) Bulletproof your gear by DanThe1Man · · Score: 4, Funny

    b) Bulletproof your gear

    For what? Those pesky Martians?

    1. Re:b) Bulletproof your gear by chiph · · Score: 5, Funny

      Haven't you heard?

      Martians in pickup trucks drive around the surface of the planet, shooting at any Earth landers they see.

      Where do you think we got the term "Redneck" from?

      Chip H.

  9. That rules out Linksys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If only the Beagle 2 people had seen this article beforehand.

  10. In summary... by mikeophile · · Score: 5, Funny
    To enact all four rules at once, do the following.

    Persistantly empty clip after clip of rounds from an automatic rifle at your prototype. If it survives, begin production.

  11. This doesnt exlpain how.... by butane_bob2003 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...Starfleet can communicate over extremely long distances with out an lag. Apparently, the lag is encountered occasionally when it is necessary to fill plot holes. But otherwise, not at all. The laws governing subspace communication elude me.

    --


    TallGreen CMS hosting
  12. Makinig seem harder than it really is by slashname3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    They are just perpetuating the myth that the rovers are really on mars. Everyone knows that it is all done in a Hollywood sound stage. The problem a few weeks ago with the the first rover was traced to someone using the mircowave oven and causing interference with their radios on the set. Anyone want another burrito heated up?

  13. priorities... by chow_mein · · Score: 5, Funny

    and I can't even get a cable/DSL modem yet!!! new slogan... Earth First, We'll Network the Other Planets Later

  14. Unless . . . by GoodNicsTken · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The orbiter then uses its more-powerful antenna to send as many as one million bits of data per second back to Earth. While fairly fast for an attenuated radio connection, that's only about a tenth of the speed of a cable-modem connection for the average home-computer user." Unless they are using Commcast, such high bandwidth usage would violate the vauge acceptable use policy, putting the rover in the top 10% of Mars bandwidth users. Ah, maybe that's what happened. NASA ignored the first warning letter, and got cut off.

  15. Just wait till spam starts to relay from Mars by gumbysworld · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just wait till spam starts to relay from Mars

    Them crafty spamers have spoofed every other network. Just wait till the IP trace routes through Mars.

    Martian Viagra pills 25% off
    Order now and save on shipping.

  16. Maybe it should just be 3 rules... by ryanvm · · Score: 5, Funny

    c) Be persistent

    Do they really need that in the handbook? What did they use to do when they had a problem?

    Engineer 1: "Shit Fred, I can't ping it."
    Engineer 2: "Oh well, cest la vie. You wanna grab a beer?"

  17. .22's won't piece IBM XT's by DR+SoB · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bulletproofing your gear is extremely important. The old IBM XT's were up for that, I took one camping once (just the case and CPU) and we set up it and took shot's at it with .22's. Only 1 shot pierced the 1/4 inch thick steel case, and the only actual damage done was a really noisy fan afterwards. Think martians have more firepower then .22's, though? d'oh!

    --
    Mod +5 Drunk
  18. Bulletproofing? by hesiod · · Score: 4, Funny

    To hell with bulletproofing, that's only useful on Earth. If they make it ASTEROID-PROOF... now THAT would be impressive.

  19. Re:Use OLD technology by dsci · · Score: 5, Funny

    I use W2K as a platform.

    I use what has worked reliably for years and years.

    Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

    --
    Computational Chemistry products and services.
  20. Channel 25? by Unnngh! · · Score: 5, Funny
    The rover-to-orbiter link uses UHF radio-the same basic technology used for broadcasting channels 14 and higher to television sets in the United States

    Clearly, Mars Channel 25 caused the original Spirit communication breakdown by interrupting it with an episode of Days of our red, dreary lives.