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Thee are a bunch of comments here asking why one would run Windows on a spacecraft. I am a spacecraft engineer. I don’t see anything in the linked article indicating that they are actually running Windows - the BSOD claim is tongue-in-cheek, or at least that’s how I read it. I also don’t know of anyone anywhere that runs Windows on a spacecraft, with the exception of laptops used by astronauts. Typically one runs vxW…
Author here: I should clarify the satellite is not running Windows. Instead, it’s running its own custom OS written in C called Flight Software (FSW) specifically designed for the satellite onboard computer. Re-reading the post, I see how the title, my analogies, and poor attempts at humor would give the incorrect description of what’s happening with the satellite when it enters safemode. I’ll amend the post soon. Th…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Real Time Operating System(s) like VxWorks. Commodity equipment running specialized distros of Linux is a growing thing however.
What parts would actually need realtime response? Only thing I can think of would be thrusters, but wouldn't that be solved by an asic? Essentially a network command where you say "I don't care specifically when you do this, but I'm requesting a correction of M-magnitude in this 3-vector. If I don't get an ack within 500ms cancel. "
Also RTOS tend to have a lot of verification work applied so that you can be confident some facilities just won't fail.
Was the spacecraft from the event described in the article an actual spacecraft in space or a simulation of a space mission on the ground?
Take your satellite, replace it's navigation/communication inputs with ones generated by a reasonably high fidelity real time physical simulation. Feed it's outputs back into said simulation. Ensure the satellite does the right things at the right time.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's surprising they didn't pick a RTOS.
Why? What benefit would that give them?
Author here: I should clarify the satellite is not running Windows. Instead, it’s running its own custom OS written in C called Flight Software (FSW) specifically designed for the satellite onboard computer. Re-reading the post, I see how the title, my analogies, and poor attempts at humor would give the incorrect description of what’s happening with the satellite when it enters safemode. I’ll amend the post soon. Th…
I got lost recently in how the Shuttle software was managed, mostly through IBM mainframes, and z/OSs facilities for all the above. I'm curious how modern development looks in comparison.
Thee are a bunch of comments here asking why one would run Windows on a spacecraft. I am a spacecraft engineer. I don’t see anything in the linked article indicating that they are actually running Windows - the BSOD claim is tongue-in-cheek, or at least that’s how I read it. I also don’t know of anyone anywhere that runs Windows on a spacecraft, with the exception of laptops used by astronauts. Typically one runs vxW…
Indeed, and it’s clearly stated in the article: > Safemode is the satellite equivalent of a blue screen of death. It’s about avoiding safemode, and more generally about the end-to-end QA/testing process for satellites before they’re sent up into orbit. It’s very clearly not about actual Windows BSODs, it’s just written in a tongue-in-cheek style. Those commenting about “wtf windows on a spacecraft” clearly didn’t rea…
If you’re paying two billion $ for something you become very very interested in test design and test results.
Also, safe mode isn’t really the same as a BSOD. It’s a mode where the spacecraft decides something is wrong and disables a lot of functionality and focuses on pointing the solar panels at the sun and the antennas at the ground. It does not cease functioning - if that happens, you’ve probably lost your spacecraft. It is therefore VITALLY IMPORTANT that safe mode works, and a smart program manager tests the hell out of it.
One must have balls of steel to run windows on a spaceship.
Detailed writeup by project manager: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27043.0 (doesn't mention the OS)
Some indication the laptops on ISS run linux on HP ZBooks: https://training.linuxfoundation.org/solutions/corporate-sol...