Space station oxygen, water computers fail

[onehandle]

Source: CNN/AP

HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- Russian computers that control the international space station's orientation and supply of oxygen and water have failed, potentially extending the space shuttle's mission -- or cutting it short.

Russian engineers aren't sure why the computers stopped working. A failure of this type has never occurred before on the space station.

The station is operated primarily by the Russian and U.S. space agencies, with contributions from the Canadian, European and Japanese space agencies.

"We have plenty of resources, so we have plenty of time to sort this out," said Mike Suffredini, NASA manager of the space station program.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/06/14/space.shuttle....

[Norrin Radd]

1. Yikes!

I hope they get that fixed quickly.

[kedrys]

2. F'in Windows

Get a real OS, dogs.

[krispos42]

11. Blue screen of death, anybody?

[hippiechick]

3. ... Ground control to Major Tom ...

[jus_the_facts]

4. without all the malfunction dramas...makes one wonder if there'd be any news...

....about these missions? Seems using the lowest bidder isn't such a good idea after all?

[Eugene]

5. AP: Space station computers partly fixed

Source: Associated Press

Space station computers partly fixed

By JUAN LOZANO, Associated Press Writer
4 minutes ago

HOUSTON - Russian computers that control the international
space station's orientation and oxygen and water supplies
were partly working again Thursday after failing the day before.

Flight controllers in Moscow were able to re-establish some
communication with the computers overnight, and Russian engineers
were working Thursday to restore the rest of the system, NASA
space station flight director Holly Ridings said.

"They've made a lot of progress," she said. "There are some cleanup
steps to do still and some investigation."

Officials with NASA and the Russian space agency still don't know
why the computers went down. They had never seen that type of
failure on the space station before, and they believe it may be
related to electrical power rather than computer software.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070614/ap_on_sc/space_shut...

[Javaman]

7. Well, comrad, you have a choice, either water or air, take your pick. LOL nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Interviewer: HAL, you have an enormous responsibility on this mission ...

... in many ways perhaps the greatest responsibility of any single mission element. You're the brain, and central nervous system of the ship, and your responsibilities include watching over the men in hibernation. Does this ever cause you any lack of confidence?
HAL: Let me put it this way, Mr. Amor. The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.

...

Dave Bowman: Hello, HAL do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave, I read you.
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave Bowman: What's the problem?
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dave Bowman: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL?
HAL: I know you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Dave Bowman: Where the hell'd you get that idea, HAL?
HAL: Dave, although you took thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.

[DixieBlue]

8. Oooh, Hal.

Hal is scarier to me than any monster, ever.

Probably because he seems feasible.

[kickysnana]

9. How bout retaliation for Putin making sense on missile shield? n/t

[alfredo]

10. They're up and running again according to CNN.

[Occulus]

12. Never trust Windows to run your space stations

I keep trying to tell people, but nobody listens.