Space Station Computers Partially Restored

Raver32 writes with the news that a partial restoration of computer control was established on the International Space Station (ISS) Thursday. Systems controlling critical elements like navigation and life-support failed on Wednesday. "Flight controllers were able to re-establish some communication with the computers overnight, with Russian engineers working Thursday to restore the rest of the system, NASA space station flight director Holly Ridings said. The U.S. space agency and Russian officials are still trying to determine the cause of a failure affecting multiple computers in the Russian network ... Since an earlier failure on Monday, thrusters on the space shuttle Atlantis have been fired periodically to help maintain the station's position. The Russian and U.S. space agencies said they could extend Atlantis's mission by one or two days to fix the problem. In the worst-case scenario, NASA said the ISS crew members -- two Russians and an American -- may be evacuated from the station."

Comments

I blame W.G.A.

[Anonymous Coward]

They forgot to register their Vista ISS edition copy of Windows and their 30 day trial is over.

Re:Twit moderators

[AKAImBatman]

Now THAT'S funny. I have no idea what's up with the mods lately, but they've been acting incredibly random at times.

I should probably keep that in mind for now. I was looking at your post and trying to figure out exactly which Lexington you were talking about. The last USS Lexington I'm aware of was an old Essex-class WWII carrier that was decommissioned in 1991. (Named in honor of the first operational carrier in the US Fleet; valiantly lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea.) Given the age of the carrier, I was doubting that she had any computers running her primary systems.

I figured that everyone else must know something I didn't since you getting modded up! :P

I figured it had to be the new panels.

[Shivetya]

don't Russian computers run on metric electricity?

Re:Over-voltage causes computer failure at ISS Rus

[Timesprout]

Nice attemp at a cover up. We all know the computers were really confiscated by the RIAA for filesharing.

Why not an American computer?

[the_rajah]

This was the question that was asked on a locally hosted talk radio show yesterday. I called in and explained that if it was an American computer, it would probably be running Windows. I asked if they had heard of the "Blue Screen of Death", which they had. I explained that deploying Windows in a life-support function would give new meaning to the term. Then the host, intelligent guy that he is, said, "But they could use a Mac". I said, "Or, better yet Linux".

Funny

[Nymz]

unless you are Moscow ground control, then "Houston, we have a problem".

Shouldn't that be "Moscow, we have a problemski."?

Another good one I've seen around - In Soviet Russia, YOU stablize gyroscopes.

Re:There are times...

[susano_otter]

I think I understand, now. This is some sort of pissing contest where your lifting body is supposed to be much cooler than my lifting body. In fact I think that all lifting bodies are pretty cool. I think single-stage, self-propelled, "airplane"-style lifting bodies are pretty cool. The Apollo capsule always struck my fancy because it was a lifting body where I didn't expect one. I think it's unfair to dismiss it as not being a "fancy" lifting body. But as they say, "you can't argue with taste". You obviously think that lifting bodies in airplane applications are "fancier" than lifting bodies in space capsule applications. I think they're both pretty fancy. Luckily, the Internet is big enough for the two of us.