Computer Date Glitch May Limit Next Shuttle Launch

n3hat writes "Reuters reports that the next Space Shuttle mission may have to be deferred if it gets too close to the New Year because the onboard computers do not handle the changing of the date in the same way as the ground computers. From the article: '"The shuttle computers were never envisioned to fly through a year-end changeover," space shuttle program manager Wayne Hale told a briefing. The problem, according to Hale, is that the shuttle's computers do not reset to day one, as ground-based systems that support shuttle navigation do. Instead, after December 31, the 365th day of the year, shuttle computers figure January 1 is just day 366."

Comments

wtf?

[PhrostyMcByte]

Is there a reason these aren't built on standard parts and operating systems? If they ran their shuttles on something like Debian stable it would be a rock solid platform and probably end up saving them lots of money. Or am I missing something here.

Re:wtf?

[jbrader]

Is there a reason these aren't built on standard parts and operating systems?

It was built by the government.

Re:lame

[morgan_greywolf]

(or maybe he watched too much Star Trek that he thought he should follow the intergalactical star dates)

Oh, shit! You mean we're not supposed to be following intergalactic star dates?? No wonder those programs I wrote have so many date bugs...

Well, of course.

[T-Ranger]

The shuttle runs on three modified IBM 360 systems. Were pushing 35, almost 40 year old systems here.

Do you know how many eligible 35 year old computer bachelors there are out there? Ill tell you: none. Of course the shuttle computers can't get a date.

Re:lame

[ozmanjusri]

Well we know that programmers get confused with numbers one time or another since we're used to start things at index 0.

Nah, everyone knows geeks are useless at dates because they never get any. Predictable failure, that one.

Xmas at home

[wwwillem]

This is not a bug ....

Imagine you are a member of the shuttle design team and you can make a choice (for the next 20 years) to either know for sure that you're with the kids at home on X-mas and New Year .... or you can suggest a software feature that could result in your New Year's Eve being spoiled down the road because you have to be for days in a dumb control room. Hey, what would you do??

And I still remember, when I was a kid, that we had that Apollo flight during X-mas. I think it was the one that would for the first time go behind the moon. Someone in the control room that year made it into an important enough person on the Shuttle program so that this WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. :-)

Re:How Many Times?

[dangitman]

Or do you recommend using a not even fully designed, coded, and tested language for controlling the most complex piece of equipment that man has ever built?

They put computers in bra straps now? Sheesh, I was just getting used to the old ones, and now this?

Re:Bites me

[clickclickdrone]

>capability of missiles (and other defence systems) to handle war through a year-end changeover?
That's why every new year all the soldiers climb out the trenches, swap chocolates, cigarettes etc, and shake hands before climbing back in and resuming war the next day.

Re:How Many Times?

[stunt_penguin]

The good news is, however that they can now be opened using a small remote control; a vast improvement on traditional 'manual' ones :)