Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

ibook_steve · May 9, 2008, 02:46 PM

As tragic as the Columbia disaster was, I couldn't believe this when I read it:

Data recovered from Columbia disaster - CNN.com

A 340 MB hard drive being used in 2003 running DOS!

Makes me wonder how we'll ever get back to the moon or ever get to Mars.

Steve

Jawbone54 · May 9, 2008, 03:00 PM

C:\>_

Ohhhhhh yeahhhhhhhh

Dakar the Fourth · May 9, 2008, 03:02 PM

I'd trust DOS over windows.

ibook_steve · May 9, 2008, 03:10 PM

I'd trust *nix over DOS or Windows!

MacosNerd · May 9, 2008, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by ibook_steve

I'd trust *nix over DOS or Windows!

I'd trust OSX over *nix , DOS or Windows!

goMac · May 9, 2008, 03:38 PM

If it's not broken, why fix it?

Atomic Rooster · May 9, 2008, 03:42 PM

Did you know those early liquid crystal watches? They were as powerful as the Apollo computers.

Read it somewhere years ago.

So DOS doesn't sound too bad.

turtle777 · May 9, 2008, 03:49 PM

Heck, isn't an iPod more powerful than anything that ever went into space ?

-t

MacosNerd · May 9, 2008, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster

Did you know those early liquid crystal watches? They were as .

I don't that is 100% correct. I read that the modern day calculators are more powerful then the Apollo computers but I never heard that the old 80's style watches were more powerful those the Apollo computers.

Luca Rescigno · May 9, 2008, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

If it's not broken, why fix it?

qft

smacintush · May 9, 2008, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

If it's not broken, why fix it?

I hate to find myself on the side of DOS but I agree.

vmarks · May 9, 2008, 08:50 PM

Here's the thing:
Technology that goes into space will always be behind the times. It has to be certified for ruggedness, and hold up against higher radiation. that's why there are 486 in space, but not the latest pentium c2d.

Additionally, we're placing this stuff in a key role in billions of dollars and people's lives. NASA is going to use that which has been tested repeatedly.

Programming for NASA means peer review and hand-reading of code repeatedly, because you can't allow for bugs when it comes down to navigation of reentry, or something as silly as, I don't know, breathing.

DOS? sure. Although, you must know - in the early 80s when they were still using Apollo era computers, six macintoshes networked matched the total power of all the other machines. Additionally, the Beowulf cluster for linux? Developed by Don Becker while at Nasa. Using 16 486dx16mhz machines.

iMOTOR · May 9, 2008, 10:18 PM

You'd be surprised how many public safety organizations still run their computer aided dispatch systems on 1980's era DEC VAX servers.

moep · May 10, 2008, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Heck, isn't an iPod more powerful than anything that ever went into space ?

It might just be the most powerful thing that ever went into space!

Nasa: iPod Pictured Onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour

scaught · May 10, 2008, 12:14 PM

an ancient operating system, DOS

which basically 90% of computers in the world still run.

I'll take DOS over windows any day. I do all my shiz in command line on windows

peeb · May 10, 2008, 12:50 PM

I'm not sure 90% of the computers in the world still run DOS, but this is the ultimate example of using only the 'stable' releases. Upgrading causes problems, so critical elements stay with old systems for years. A lot of the shuttle is custom systems, so re-writing everything for an OS upgrade just doesn't make any sense.

turtle777 · May 10, 2008, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by scaught

which basically 90% of computers in the world still run.

Links, please.

-t

C.A.T.S. CEO · May 10, 2008, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by scaught

which basically 90% of computers in the world still run.

I'll take DOS over windows any day. I do all my shiz in command line on windows

NT, not DOS. Wasn't the last DOS-based OS Windows ME? (Ignoring FreeDOS when I say that.)

turtle777 · May 10, 2008, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by C.A.T.S. CEO

NT, not DOS. Wasn't the last DOS-based OS Windows ME? (Ignoring FreeDOS when I say that.)

I hope he didn't try to convince us of a bullsh!t statistic by including any Windows that had DOS under the hood.

It's like me claiming that 99.9% of all computers today use 512kB of RAM.

Statistically, this holds true for any computer that has RAM > 512kB, but it's still total BS because it sounds like the total opposite.

-t

Gator Lager · May 10, 2008, 03:01 PM

here's a little reading that'll make it clear to all.
HSF - The Shuttle
yep, it's 70's technology we use on the shuttles. that's what they came with. and vmarks is correct about the 486 micro processors on the ISS. NASA tests and retests and test again and then till failure and then determines why it failed. and that's what they require to be used. meanwhile the rest of the world is using generation whatever? version of the software/hardware. that's life at NASA.

as for customization of the wiring. the only wiring that gets changed for each mission is the midbody (payload) to flight deck configuration. and sometimes that involves re-pinning connectors. different electrical and sometime cooling attach points.

I'm still working on the shuttles so I don't know what the constellation (ares and orion) is using. but I hopefully will be working on that program. hopefully.