opening up the unused, federally owned wireless spectrum
Spectrum in the US is allocated through an arcane, bureaucratic process that takes years to balance the needs of the government (NTIA) and the needs of individuals and businesses (FCC). Broadband For America, which aims to reallocate 500 MHz of "wireless" spectrum for commercial use will likely cost the DoD alone high tens to hundreds of billions of our tax dollars to implement. It will also take several years, due to the necessity of re-engineering of fielded equipment and software.
That spectrum which appears to be "unused" may be reserved for equipment in development, experimentation, or wartime uses. It may also be reserved for scenarios where all hell breaks loose here at home (e.g., 9-11) and the goverment can't afford to be competing with Twitter and Facebook for bandwidth.
I need VGA or DVI support until my current LCD monitors fail or are surpassed by glasses free, no headache, uber 3D capability (yeah right). I imagine that many businesses and the government are in the same boat. If that support has to come via an external HDMI to DVI/VGA adapter, well, we've been there before (DVI to VGA).
To be fair to the hardworking acquisition troops in DoD, the Predator and Reaper were demonstrated and fielded through a short-cut process for fielding new capabilities quickly. When the normally thorough system design process is "streamlined" (or bypassed) to rapidly field a new capability, bad stuff can and does happen. Thus, the acquisition axiom, 'When you want it real bad, that's usually how you get it." As an example, of all the recorded predator losses through 2009, only ~3% were lost to enemy action (i.e., shot down). That means that rest crashed for other reasons like design flaws, equipment failure and pilot error. Not exactly what they projected for expected losses.
Commanders in the field are willing to accept risks to get a capability faster, but those risks are not always easy to predict, as this virus issue shows. For the GCS, the virus updates, map updates and any other software updates would have to be transferred from Internet connected systems. Media screening procedures were certainly put in place. It is a sub-opitimal solution, but not a tremendous risk given the system's isolation and controls in place. This event was, most likely, a process violation that led to an MBR infection, vice a system failure. In some cases risks are easier to predict, such as lack of logistics support for newly fielded systems that have not gone through a detailed logistics analysis and planning phase. The loggies then have to play catch up on supply chain, maintenance training, sparing levels and supportability planning.
To be fair to the accelerated processes, they meet a very real need to improve mission capability quickly. Balancing risk vs capability must prioritize those that choose to go forth and fight the war.
Regardless of the direction of the nudge, we must pursue the technology. As we learn more about NEO nudging, it will apply equally to either case: towards or away. One day, we may need to implant some automated solar sails and a nuclear pulse engine on a larger NEO to keep it from impacting our little "pale blue dot" on its next pass!
Federal records regulations are broad and rather simple. If material doesn't meet a specific condition for retention, such as an open investigation, then it must be destroyed within a specified time frame, based on the content of the material. These rules were developed when paper was the primary medium of storage.
To paraphrase: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by bureaucracy."
Though the capacity is rather small, I wonder if the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle could carry critical supplies to the ISS? It's designed for quick turn-around and maneuverability. Would have to spacewalk for those supplies, though. No docking system on OTV that I know of.
I don't think the years matter nearly as much as all those long nights waiting for FDISK to finish running on a full-height 10MB Winchester disk drive.
Economically and technically, this combination of tests is a win-win. The longer flight required to accomplish both phases of testing (rendezvous and docking) will be a much more significant test of the Dragon's capabilities and endurance. The test regimen will still proceed through all required testing steps, likely with a pause for analysis between the two phases. It also saves the money required for a separate launch and may well accelerate the first operational flight of an unmanned Dragon supply vehicle. SpaceX wins, NASA wins, and we the people win. That's a rare combination.
An alternative to light rail with a reduced foot print would be Tethered Lighter Than Air (TLTA) craft. Essentially a low-weight-bearing monorail (or mono-cable) ground infrastructure would carry a tractor/tether system that would drive and direct an LTA craft. It would be an elevated sky-train that could descend (or be reeled in) to platforms for boarding/loading. The LTA craft could also sport solar cells as its upper surface in areas where that would be cost effective. This system could safely operate through wind conditions that would prohibit free flight. There would, of course, be wind gust limits for comfortable and safe operation. Rain, icing and snow don't present insurmountable problems for a ground powered system.
Imagine a world where a robotic space plane can capture, refuel and boost your spy satellites, extending their lives indefinitely. For the cost of one launch, you get several effective re-launches. Or, perhaps, changing the orbits of spy satellites at odd intervals to render them less predictable. Possibly, with a combination of mylar, kevlar and aerogel, removing debris from a prime spy sat orbital position.
It can already carry a payload and make it's orbit less than easy to track. It can also launch and return with items that we never thought to put up before, and on relatively short notice (as if an Atlas V can launch on really short notice).
Is it too late to welcome our robotic space plane overlords? Thought so.
Slashdot Mirror
opening up the unused, federally owned wireless spectrum
Spectrum in the US is allocated through an arcane, bureaucratic process that takes years to balance the needs of the government (NTIA) and the needs of individuals and businesses (FCC). Broadband For America, which aims to reallocate 500 MHz of "wireless" spectrum for commercial use will likely cost the DoD alone high tens to hundreds of billions of our tax dollars to implement. It will also take several years, due to the necessity of re-engineering of fielded equipment and software.
That spectrum which appears to be "unused" may be reserved for equipment in development, experimentation, or wartime uses. It may also be reserved for scenarios where all hell breaks loose here at home (e.g., 9-11) and the goverment can't afford to be competing with Twitter and Facebook for bandwidth.
Apparently they were mistakenly providing mobile numbers to sites that had not paid for them!
I need VGA or DVI support until my current LCD monitors fail or are surpassed by glasses free, no headache, uber 3D capability (yeah right). I imagine that many businesses and the government are in the same boat. If that support has to come via an external HDMI to DVI/VGA adapter, well, we've been there before (DVI to VGA).
They're on a Ubuntu system, so don't they normally see a $ instead of a #, and have to sudo everywhere?.
Only if they are unpriveleged users, otherwise:
$ sudo su
password: -user password-
#
To be fair to the hardworking acquisition troops in DoD, the Predator and Reaper were demonstrated and fielded through a short-cut process for fielding new capabilities quickly. When the normally thorough system design process is "streamlined" (or bypassed) to rapidly field a new capability, bad stuff can and does happen. Thus, the acquisition axiom, 'When you want it real bad, that's usually how you get it." As an example, of all the recorded predator losses through 2009, only ~3% were lost to enemy action (i.e., shot down). That means that rest crashed for other reasons like design flaws, equipment failure and pilot error. Not exactly what they projected for expected losses.
Commanders in the field are willing to accept risks to get a capability faster, but those risks are not always easy to predict, as this virus issue shows. For the GCS, the virus updates, map updates and any other software updates would have to be transferred from Internet connected systems. Media screening procedures were certainly put in place. It is a sub-opitimal solution, but not a tremendous risk given the system's isolation and controls in place. This event was, most likely, a process violation that led to an MBR infection, vice a system failure. In some cases risks are easier to predict, such as lack of logistics support for newly fielded systems that have not gone through a detailed logistics analysis and planning phase. The loggies then have to play catch up on supply chain, maintenance training, sparing levels and supportability planning.
To be fair to the accelerated processes, they meet a very real need to improve mission capability quickly. Balancing risk vs capability must prioritize those that choose to go forth and fight the war.
That none of the MPs like to pound the table with their papers, er, iPads!
Maybe they should look for a way to diminsh the strength and impact of hurricanes and typhoons.
Regardless of the direction of the nudge, we must pursue the technology. As we learn more about NEO nudging, it will apply equally to either case: towards or away. One day, we may need to implant some automated solar sails and a nuclear pulse engine on a larger NEO to keep it from impacting our little "pale blue dot" on its next pass!
Federal records regulations are broad and rather simple. If material doesn't meet a specific condition for retention, such as an open investigation, then it must be destroyed within a specified time frame, based on the content of the material. These rules were developed when paper was the primary medium of storage.
To paraphrase: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by bureaucracy."
That we're Linux Freax?
- Thanks Linus!
"This is the voice of Guardian. This is the voice of Colossus. We are one."
Though the capacity is rather small, I wonder if the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle could carry critical supplies to the ISS? It's designed for quick turn-around and maneuverability. Would have to spacewalk for those supplies, though. No docking system on OTV that I know of.
I don't think the years matter nearly as much as all those long nights waiting for FDISK to finish running on a full-height 10MB Winchester disk drive.
Economically and technically, this combination of tests is a win-win. The longer flight required to accomplish both phases of testing (rendezvous and docking) will be a much more significant test of the Dragon's capabilities and endurance. The test regimen will still proceed through all required testing steps, likely with a pause for analysis between the two phases. It also saves the money required for a separate launch and may well accelerate the first operational flight of an unmanned Dragon supply vehicle. SpaceX wins, NASA wins, and we the people win. That's a rare combination.
Midwives are always catching things that have been pushed out. They wash them up and hand them to Mommy.
Why the heck not!
SWEEEET!
Not all their names were released.
There's an old saying in government: "A mandate without money is but a wish."
Yahoo is killing Del.icio.us?
-insert "that leaves a bad taste in my mouth" joke here-
A permanent seat on the UN Internet Security Council.
It wasn't me! And you can't prove it.
An alternative to light rail with a reduced foot print would be Tethered Lighter Than Air (TLTA) craft. Essentially a low-weight-bearing monorail (or mono-cable) ground infrastructure would carry a tractor/tether system that would drive and direct an LTA craft. It would be an elevated sky-train that could descend (or be reeled in) to platforms for boarding/loading. The LTA craft could also sport solar cells as its upper surface in areas where that would be cost effective. This system could safely operate through wind conditions that would prohibit free flight. There would, of course, be wind gust limits for comfortable and safe operation. Rain, icing and snow don't present insurmountable problems for a ground powered system.
The foregoing is copyrighted by me (c) 2010
I, for one, welcome our patent troll overlords.
Imagine a world where a robotic space plane can capture, refuel and boost your spy satellites, extending their lives indefinitely. For the cost of one launch, you get several effective re-launches. Or, perhaps, changing the orbits of spy satellites at odd intervals to render them less predictable. Possibly, with a combination of mylar, kevlar and aerogel, removing debris from a prime spy sat orbital position.
It can already carry a payload and make it's orbit less than easy to track. It can also launch and return with items that we never thought to put up before, and on relatively short notice (as if an Atlas V can launch on really short notice).
Is it too late to welcome our robotic space plane overlords? Thought so.