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backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
14. That's the story of any processor designed for space.
Sat Apr 9, 2016, 10:46 PM
Apr 2016

The Curiosity rover uses a PowerPC based chip, the BAE RAD750, which runs at 132 MHz, on a mainboard with 256MB RAM, and 2GB flash memory. It seems ridiculously underpowered compared to the laptop I have running on my desk, but at the same time, it's hardened against radiation and the temperature extremes of space. And as you've mentioned, this hardware and software has been tested and retested, because bugs that are a mere nuisance to us, that might cause a program to crash, or might make us reboot, could cripple a spacecraft or rover, with no way to fix them.

The space industry is very conservative when it comes to computers. They have to work as close to 100% of the time as they can make them.

Hard science is hard PJMcK Apr 2016 #1
It doesn't cost all that much in the grand scheme of things. Cassiopeia Apr 2016 #2
Many Many Thanks SoLeftIAmRight Apr 2016 #5
It's not just those spent trillions. Cassiopeia Apr 2016 #6
go go go SoLeftIAmRight Apr 2016 #7
love the sig line. Cassiopeia Apr 2016 #8
Yeah, the money PJMcK Apr 2016 #10
It's all of it (handouts that is) Cassiopeia Apr 2016 #12
Not only do they have to design it to work, they have to keithbvadu2 Apr 2016 #3
Years ago, when the Pentium class chip Cassiopeia Apr 2016 #13
That's the story of any processor designed for space. backscatter712 Apr 2016 #14
Exactly. Cassiopeia Apr 2016 #15
New Horizons.... reACTIONary Apr 2016 #20
Eventually these things will have their own repair droids if something physical needs to be done. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2016 #4
Unfortunately, Thespian2 Apr 2016 #9
FYI The planned mission duration for Kepler was.. reACTIONary Apr 2016 #11
I think we’ve all gotten so used to NASA missions going way over their projected lifespan Baclava Apr 2016 #18
Hope it didn't lose one of the two remaining reaction wheels. Thor_MN Apr 2016 #16
It took some seriously ingenious engineering to keep it going this long Baclava Apr 2016 #19
I'd rather my tax dollars go to NASA than to the war machine. navarth Apr 2016 #17
I agree Matthew28 Apr 2016 #22
Nasa re-establishes solid contact with Kepler spacecraft Eugene Apr 2016 #21
Yay! James Webb space telescope is years away...at least Baclava Apr 2016 #23
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