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The Eyes of the Space Shuttle

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tech-that's-really-out-there dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Now that Discovery astronaut Steve Robinson has successfully removed two pieces of fabric poking out of the shuttle's heat shield, a question remains: how did NASA discover these anomalies in the first place? In this article, Forbes.com writes that NASA can say thank you to a private Canadian company, Neptec, and its Laser Camera system (LCS). Neptec is working with NASA for ten years now, but it was the first time that its vision technology was used for external damage assessment of a shuttle. As NASA says it may cancel some future shuttle flights, Neptec plans to implement its 3-D imaging technology in military situations and on the battlefield. But read more for other details, references and pictures about this imaging technology."

9 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Hey Roland, GET A JOB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful


    and stop ripping off other websites content

  2. "nothing for you to see here..." by Atlantis-Rising · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe the camera's not working right?

    --
    "It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." -Peak Performance
  3. Roland - serious request by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Please, please, PLEASE, editors, stop posting these submissions to the front page, or give them a filterable category so that we can choose not to see them.


    You might consider doing the same for all blog-type submissions, or anything that might be construed as an ad (see the "help me port my game" submission from earlier).

    1. Re:Roland - serious request by Bastian · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, who wants a website that simply posts small excerpts of and links to other people's news, usually with a little smidgeon of side commentary from the editor, provides space for readers to comment on it? Especially when said site makes its money from selling ad space.

      Oh wait, did I just describe Slashdot? I guess I did. Tee-hee.

      Fuck, people, what's your problem with Roland? At least he reads the articles he's linking, finds his own content to index, puts some effort into citing his sources (which the /. eds themseles neverdo), and checks his grammar and spelling.

      It's really heard to listen to the complaints you folks are raising about him, knowing that they are coming from Slashdot readers.

  4. New issue to fix just found - kudos to the cameras by Rei · · Score: 4, Informative

    They keep finding things, though. Here's the latest.

    Amazing how NASA turned into "Paranoid Scientists Incorporated" since Columbia...

    --
    "It felt almost as good as stealing cars from grandma." -- Margaret Thatcher, probably.
  5. And Neptec's RTOS of choice? by Kilkonie · · Score: 4, Informative
    Neptec's vision system is running QNX's Neutrino RTOS.
    QNX(R) Neutrino(R) RTOS is powering the Neptec Laser Camera System (LCS) for NASA's Return to Flight mission. Designed and built by Neptec, a developer of space vision systems, the LCS will play a key role in ensuring the safety of this mission, the first since the Columbia disaster in 2003. This mission is scheduled for takeoff Wednesday, July 13, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

    The crew of the space shuttle Discovery will use Neptec's LCS to inspect the exterior of the shuttle during the 12-day flight. The LCS, which will be attached to a boom at the end of the shuttle's Canadarm, uses a scanning mechanism to generate three-dimensional maps of the shuttle's exterior surface in real time. During the mission, NASA will use the generated images to identify even the smallest amount of damage to the outside of the spacecraft.

    Neptec has also used QNX RTOS technology in earlier devices it developed for NASA, including the QNX-based Advanced Space Vision System (ASVS), which helped guide the Canadarm in previous shuttle missions as well as on the International Space Station." The LCS is a critical element of NASA's Return to Flight mission and we have to be sure it is running on the most reliable operating system available," said Iain Christie, vice president of research and development at Neptec. "Selecting the QNX Neutrino RTOS was an easy decision because we already know that the system can handle the extreme conditions found in space and that it meets our demands for ultra-reliability. We will continue to use QNX technology in all of our real time embedded projects."

    Full Article
    Older QNX PR Piece

  6. Two for Two! by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Two Roland stories in two days! Slashdot must not be getting enough quality submissions from OTHER people.

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  7. Roland by zaguar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Every time you click onto Roland Piquepaille's blog, God kills a kitten.

    --
    "Sure there's porn and piracy on the Web but there's probably a downside too."
  8. Canada Canada Canada by GISGEOLOGYGEEK · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If we can put aside all the Roland protests for a second, lets go a bit deeper into the actual story ...

    Yes it is Canadian lidar technology that was used to scan the shuttle for damage.

    But, what you'll never hear from any American media outlet is that the laser camera was mounted on the Canadian extention arm ... used to give more reach to the Canadarm. ... you know, that device that american media refers to only as the remote manipulator arm, never by its proper name, yes, the device that hauled in the Hubble telescope for repairs must never get the credit it is due. Remember how it's Canada insignia was removed to hide its origin during the big media coverage of the hubble events? Wouldn't want anyone to think that anyone other than the US can do anything great now would you!

    And of course the lets not forget about the other big tool that helps assemble the space station ... as well as taking more pictures to investigate the shuttle, the robotic arm that can go end over end inch worming between connection points along the space station ... the Canadarm2

    Do you Americans build any of the space hardware you use?

    --
    George Bush + Linux = "I will not let information get in the way of the fight against Windows"