Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

First Ethernet Switch In Space

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the iss-lan-party-arrives dept.

Rebecca will you marry me? writes "The ESA's Columbus laboratory module was added to the International Space Station in February, but Hewlett-Packard has only now chosen to reveal that the LAN onboard Columbus uses a ProCurve 2524 switch." HP admits it was the "most unusual and demanding" project ProCurve has done yet.

4 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. And this is interesting because? by cheebie · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is there some reason why a router in orbit would behave differently in any way from a router sitting in a rack in the server room? (Other than floating, etc.)

    1. Re:And this is interesting because? by N3TW4LK3R · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In space, it's exposed to all kinds of radiation that normally gets blocked by the earth's atmosphere.
      This is one of the reasons we try to limit the complexity of electronics sent out to space. (and additionally, shield the hell out of everything)
      I believe the shuttle uses a computer comparable to a 386, for this reason.

    2. Re:And this is interesting because? by muffel · · Score: 5, Insightful
      • Cooling: No 'natural' convection
      • G-Forces, Vibration
      • Radiation
      --

      bla
    3. Re:And this is interesting because? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I hope for the sake of the ISS crew that it's "low rad" in the ISS.

      The radiation the semiconductors don't like are heavy particles like neutrons which are extremely harmful to humans too.