shish_mishArtemis II Astronauts Have ‘Two Microsoft Outlooks’ and Neither Work
NarrativeBearThe question is do they have a Copilot?
DiplomjodlerThey didn’t pay their subscription fees, obviously. Duh.
RiskableMy question exactly: The computers should be purpose-built, including the operating system.
Why TF aren’t they using something like NASA Linux‽
If they made it open source you bet your ass they’d get shittons of free support from the global community! If they’re running my software I’d be willing to hop on a call with the command center on any day at any hour!
“Yes, I know it’s Christmas but NASA is having some trouble with a systemd script on a space ship that’s currently in space…”
My question exactly: The computers should be purpose-built, including the operating system.
They are, mission critical systems are typically on a Unix/Linux base or completely custom built.
The systems that use Windows are the ones related to office work, like updating the crew’s bank information and distributing pay.
What the article fails to mention is that this is on Commander Wiseman’s personal Surface Pro and not on any mission-related systems.
Nice April 1st. I mean that’d be almost as ridiculous as running nuclear subs on Windows, right? Long EOL’d versions at that, eh?
rustles papers
Oh.
popularmechanics.com/…/britains-doomsday-subs-run…
(Though, of course, that’s alledgedly simplifying a lot to make it more click-bait-y: …org.uk/no-trident-doesnt-run-windows-xp/ )
Of course a submarine’s systems won’t be connected to the internet, but using a Windows base with a “Custom Support Agreement” still gives a private US corporation the power to cripple their subs.
IMO something so critical to defense should be built by British developers, and based on OpenBSD.
IMO something so critical to defense should be built by British developers, and based on OpenBSD.
I agree, but then I’m one of those really hardcore libre-software-only nutcases ;-)
gives a private US corporation the power to cripple their subs.
You, umm, probably shouldn’t look up who maintains the trident missiles those subs carry…
Are they maintained by a private corporation?
using a Windows base with a “Custom Support Agreement” still gives a private US corporation the power to cripple their subs.
No, it doesn’t.
How is Microsoft going to affect the software installed on a nuclear submarine?
It only gives Microsoft the power to choose to not add new features, the software wouldn’t be on the sub if it required any kind of outside support… the entire point of a nuclear submarine is to perform a second strike after everyone (including Microsoft) is destroyed in a nuclear apocalypse.
Having software that’s dependent on anything that isn’t on the boat would completely defeat that purpose.
Further to this, there isn’t a ‘launch the nuclear weapons’ application which controls things. Windows is used for the day to day admin - producing the paperwork required in any organisation - but the actual control systems, for the submarine, the weapons the reactor etc are not running off windows.
On the stream you could very easily see his PIN code being put in, hopefully it’s limited to that device!
I think that’s the point of PINs. Otherwise they’d just be very, very shitty MS account passwords.
xthexderProbably not, I’d imagine all the tablets have the same pin to make things easier.
Ha! They used to run Unix.
Or …so I hear.
Uhhh so they can see where they are
MrKoyun
MousePotatoDoesStuffSomeone should make a movie about this. Maybe put some iconic soundtrack in it, too.
All of this will surely give them the Edge they need for this mission.
I just hope they don’t Paint themselves into a corner
Axolotl
ultrafastslothThe Windows must withstand Micro soft-impact meteors
Idk, if I go to space I def want windows … operated by trained, reliable penguins.
There was a slight miscommunication at the fabrication stage. The requirement was to include windows and now they are in a windowless tube with two not functioning outlook accounts. Honest mistake, could happen to anyone
Imagine: You are the first human approaching the moon for a landing since 50+ years. Just a couple of seconds before touchdown the PC starts rebooting because an engineer clicked remind me later on earth and the PC registered that nobody moved the mouse or pressed a key for more than 3 nanoseconds so the user is surely AFK and has definitely nothing important going on so let’s close all open documents and reboot 🤷🏻♂️
You wouldn’t and they didn’t.
The article has just failed to inform the readers (the few that got past the headline), that this was on his personal Surface Tablet and not on anything associated with the mission.
If it’s on the ship, it’s associated with the mission. Windows has a very high habit of barfing so over itself, as is evidenced by this article. It’s bonkers to me that they chose to use Windows for anything at all.
AzzuI don’t think the phone in my pocket is “associated with my job” when I’m working, just because it’s in the same location.
False equivalency.
If you were going on a 10 day hike to the most remote location on earth, would you bring the most unreliable device you could find, or something you can count on?
You don’t understand. Their personal device can be trashed immediately without any drawbacks to the mission.
If I go on a 10 day hike to the most remote location on Earth, and bring my jojo to have some fun with, I really don’t care if it breaks on my hike, and the hike is not affected except for my not having fun with my jojo.
No, I do understand. I still think it’s a bad decision. It’s not just about how critical to the mission it is. It’s useful as a form of communication with family and entertainment. In that context I do think it’s “important”. And also in that context, I would want something reliable.
Absolutely agree. It’s still wrong that it’s associated with the mission, and it’s not “absolutely bonkers” to not really think about the email client you use.
The tablets are a convenience, not a requirement and so being commercial off the shelf means it’s cheaper and it works well enough than what purpose-built hardware and software.
If every tablet died, the mission would proceed without pause. Except the astronauts would be checking gauges instead of looking at a system monitor on their tablet and not sending as many e-mails.
To phone home
LucidlethargyYeah, that’s no reason. That’s fucking stupid.
(I only read the title) So that is within the allowed tolerance bcs they never performed better during testing either.