NASA Testing Linux-Based Exploration Robots

SeenOnSlash.com writes "This week NASA is testing a Linux-based lunar rover called K-10 in the Arizona desert. To cut costs and promote maintainability the K-10 runs Linux and uses commercial off-the-shelf parts where possible. The robot rover's control and communications system is based on an IBM Thinkpad X31 and attaches to subsystems with standard PC interfaces. Real-time tasks such as fine-grained motor control are offloaded to a distributed network of microcontroller-powered control boards. Maneuvers can be watched through a live webcam."

Comments

Linux in space

[product byproduct]

Does it include a copy of the GPL? Aliens need to know that they are entitled to the source code if they find the probe.

Re:Linux in space

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, the little bastards didn't seem to need a license for the last probe they gave me :-(

Awesome!

[Si]

But does it run li... oh.

OTS

[faqmaster]

Off the shelf parts are prolly fine for the Arizona desert. For two years of hard radiation bombardment then two plus years of -100 C and a constant coating of fine dust - not so much. Linux, on the other hand, thanks to its GPL code should have no problem in space. Just

insmod hard-rad-i386-0.16

and then

modprobe cryo-chillin-i386-0.9

and it should be fine. Also, don't forget to update crontab with

10 4 1 * * /root/scripts/dustoff.sh >> /dev/null 2>&1

Moo

[Chacham]

In other news, Richard Stallman slammed NASA for using GPL code, but not allowing everyone to pilot the robot or go on space mission.

In a statement released today, NASA has responded by offering to send Stallman to Mars.