NASA seizes new Opportunity after losing its Spirit on Mars

P

Poppa Capp

Yeah, the sorry USA space junk known as Spirit broke down - attributed
to the flash memory. NASA should have sprung those extra bucks and
gotten Kingston memory instead of that sorry ass IBM proprietary shit.

The Russians can have (another) laugh at our expense.

Poppa Capp
 
P

Peterson, David

Yeah, the sorry USA space junk known as Spirit broke down - attributed
to the flash memory. NASA should have sprung those extra bucks and
gotten Kingston memory instead of that sorry ass IBM proprietary shit.

The Russians can have (another) laugh at our expense.

Poppa Capp
Click to expand...


Looks like it was caused by a software bug... Spirit should be fully
fixed by next week. It's already sending pictures again
 
H

Haximus

The only Soviet space probe to land successfully on Mars and transmit data
did so for just 15 seconds. Considering this, the mission is already
infinitely more successful than all Soviet Mars missions put together.
Spirit isn't a write-off yet, the programmers just need to debug some flakey
code, update the rover, and it will be back in service.
 
W

Walt Amante

From what I have read, it is the SOFTWARE which runs the file manager,
or caching, program for the FLASH. It is NOT the Flash memory itself,
as you so wrongly suggest. So, using another brand of FLASH would not
have made a single difference.

Apparently, NASA tested this software by running it for only 6 continuous
days. Spirit has been running, now, for a LOT longer than that.
 
K

Keith R. Williams

From what I have read, it is the SOFTWARE which runs the file manager,
or caching, program for the FLASH. It is NOT the Flash memory itself,
as you so wrongly suggest. So, using another brand of FLASH would not
have made a single difference.
Click to expand...

....and I didn't know IBM made Flash.
Apparently, NASA tested this software by running it for only 6 continuous
days. Spirit has been running, now, for a LOT longer than that.
Click to expand...

From what I've heard it looks like a FAT-12 problem (too many files in
the root directory?).
 
E

Evgenij Barsukov

Peterson said:
Looks like it was caused by a software bug... Spirit should be fully
fixed by next week. It's already sending pictures again
Click to expand...

I wonder what kind of hardware is Spirit using for its CPU?
Has to be very low-power considering limiting power resources...
Anybody knows?

Regards,
Evgenij
--

__________________________________________________
*science&fiction*free programs*fine art*phylosophy:
http://sudy_zhenja.tripod.com
----------remove hate_spam to answer--------------
 
T

Tony Hill

I wonder what kind of hardware is Spirit using for its CPU?
Has to be very low-power considering limiting power resources...
Anybody knows?
Click to expand...

Rad-hardened PowerPC chip. Probably a fairly old model by today's
standards, as NASA mostly uses tried-and-tested designs. Apparently
the same computer has been used with very few changes for a number of
other space missions. The system runs under the Wind River VxWorks
operating system (a popular and widely used RTOS).

You can find a bit more info here:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/mer_computer_040128.html
 
R

RusH

Roman Svihorik said:
Oh, no! It is Mac. Definitely.
Click to expand...

Nasa doesnt like new hardware. Maybe becouse the average Nasa dude age
is around 40-60 :p. I'v seen some Amiga advocacy www about Nasa
"obsolete hardware syndrom".


Pozdrawiam.
 
G

glugg

Yeah, the sorry USA space junk known as Spirit broke down - attributed
to the flash memory. NASA should have sprung those extra bucks and
gotten Kingston memory instead of that sorry ass IBM proprietary shit.

The Russians can have (another) laugh at our expense.
Click to expand...

Russians only laugh after expending vodka.
It takes vodka to stop the tears.
 
T

Tony Hill

Nasa doesnt like new hardware. Maybe becouse the average Nasa dude age
is around 40-60 :p.
Click to expand...

Or maybe because they design the things to WORK. Most people dealing
with PCs have absolutely no concept of reliability and things that
MUST work the first time and EVERY time. That's why they used tried
and tested (and usually redundant) hardware on high-reliability
operating system (VxWorks in this case).

Mac? Please! MacOS / OS X wouldn't know true reliability if it was
hit over the head with it!

Of course, the system in question has absolutely NO connection with a
Mac at all. It's quite odd to see people who automatically assume
PowerPC == Mac. Do these people think that Nintendo Gamecubes are
Macs as well? Cisco routers? Hell, the Newisys 2100 Opteron server
has a PowerPC processor in it!
I'v seen some Amiga advocacy www about Nasa
"obsolete hardware syndrom".
Click to expand...

It could have something to do with the fact that the computer system
used costs about $2000 in a multi-multi-million dollar (billion
dollar?) machine, but if one tiny bit of that computer hardware or
software failed the whole machine is a waste.

When you start dealing with numbers like that, reliability is the ONLY
factor that matters. PC hardware and software and just NOT designed
with this kind of reliability in mind.
 
T

Tarver Engineering

Tony Hill said:
Or maybe because they design the things to WORK. Most people dealing
with PCs have absolutely no concept of reliability and things that
MUST work the first time and EVERY time. That's why they used tried
and tested (and usually redundant) hardware on high-reliability
operating system (VxWorks in this case).

Mac? Please! MacOS / OS X wouldn't know true reliability if it was
hit over the head with it!

Of course, the system in question has absolutely NO connection with a
Mac at all. It's quite odd to see people who automatically assume
PowerPC == Mac. Do these people think that Nintendo Gamecubes are
Macs as well? Cisco routers? Hell, the Newisys 2100 Opteron server
has a PowerPC processor in it!


It could have something to do with the fact that the computer system
used costs about $2000 in a multi-multi-million dollar (billion
dollar?) machine, but if one tiny bit of that computer hardware or
software failed the whole machine is a waste.

When you start dealing with numbers like that, reliability is the ONLY
factor that matters. PC hardware and software and just NOT designed
with this kind of reliability in mind.
Click to expand...

Buy a Mac and pay Billy Gates twice.
 
K

Keith R. Williams

Nasa doesnt like new hardware. Maybe becouse the average Nasa dude age
is around 40-60 :p. I'v seen some Amiga advocacy www about Nasa
"obsolete hardware syndrom".
Click to expand...

When careers (a deep space project may span the developer's
entire career) and perhaps lives are on the line, it makes some
sense to go with what's been proven and *very* expensive to
"prove" what's not. If the demand (or power) isn't there for a
4GHz P4, why take the risks/costs? Only game-geeks have more
time and money than sense. ;-)
 
T

Tarver Engineering

Keith R. Williams said:
Please explain how buying a Mac pays BillG a dime.
Click to expand...

Microsoft writes most of the software for the Mac, as that is how billy
lifted the icon based operating system. Billy bailed out Mac and paid for
the development of their last generation machine.

Buy a PC, pay billy once.

Buy a Mac, pay Billy twice.

Besides that, Spirit is far from lost.
 
K

Keith R. Williams

Microsoft writes most of the software for the Mac, as that is how billy
lifted the icon based operating system. Billy bailed out Mac and paid for
the development of their last generation machine.
Click to expand...

Most of? BTW, I thought M$ sold their stake (which was in non-
voting shares, IIRC).
Buy a PC, pay billy once.
Click to expand...

Oh, most software for PC's is not written by M$?
Buy a Mac, pay Billy twice.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Ok...
Besides that, Spirit is far from lost.
Click to expand...

Of course it's not.
 
T

Tarver Engineering

Keith R. Williams said:
Most of? BTW, I thought M$ sold their stake (which was in non-
voting shares, IIRC).
Click to expand...

M$ is a seperate issue from Billy's holdings.
Oh, most software for PC's is not written by M$?
Click to expand...

Billy doesn't gat a piece of my PC price, just the operating system.
Yeah, Ok...


Of course it's not.
Click to expand...

JPL has reason to be proud.
 

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