🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <603@ryn.esg.dec.com> cooper@hpsrad.enet.dec.com (g.d.cooper in the shadowlands) writes:

>>> misc comments on the state of NASA tech, from misc. folks

>This reminds me of a similar anecdote about the Apollo program, if I
>remember correctly.  All of the logic was RTL and they couldn't fit...
>
....

>
>And they could have used TTL by the time Apollo was ready to go but it
>would have required a total redesign of all of the electronics and n
>billion $s.
>
>As a side note, I believe that NASA was the last large scale user of
>RTL components.
>			 Can you say archaic,
>

Also quite reliable. In the lab we can use all sorts of new toys. By
First Customer Shipment one expects the worst defects to be known and
fixed. A couple of years later the vendor makes a new widget and the
old one goes to the new guy/gal on the block. If there is an odd
failure mode that takes 5 years to show up, its not a problem.

It takes a considerable amount of calendar time to make it out to Deep
Space (say Jupiter ... which is closer than lots of other nice places
to visit). VGR has done real well; a few hw failures, but nothing
which caused the mission to fail. 

It can be argued that it would be better to build cheaper spacecraft
quicker, and launch lots. But unless and until we ensure waves of
spacecraft each one has to be near perfect, or the whole project is a
total loss. This implies a much more conservative set of
design/management rules.

The robotic arm of NASA (JPL, et al) has done a really fine job. My
remark about 1802's was not a joke, it was certainly NOT intended as
criticism. 

I want the latest technology (bugs and all) on my desk. I want
something reliable for my file server. I want something safe in my
motorcycle (enough risks as it is) and I most certainly want something
really safe (and therefore probably old) in anything flying in deep
space. 

cheers

Keith H. Bierman    |*My thoughts are my own. !! kbierman@sun.com
It's Not My Fault   |	MTS --Only my work belongs to Sun* 
I Voted for Bill &  | Advanced Languages/Floating Point Group            
Opus                | "When the going gets Weird .. the Weird turn PRO"