Linux Rocket Blasts Off This Fall 327

Posted by timothy on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @12:56AM from the fwooooooof dept.

HardcoreGamer writes "An Oregon amateur rocket group, the Portland State Aerospace Society, plans to launch a Linux-powered rocket weighing 12 pounds to 55,000 feet at a speed of Mach 3 in September, Wired News reports. The rocket's onboard computer is an AMD 586 processor and a Jumptec MOPS/520 PC/104+ board along with a power supply, a PCMCIA card carrier for an 802.11b card to transmit data to the ground, and a carrier board for a 128-MB CompactFlash card for long-term storage. The flight computer runs a stripped-down version of Debian Linux, with the 2.4.20 Linux kernel. The group will present a paper (HTML | PDF ) on the use of free software in rocketry at Usenix 2003. The real question is whether their network card will survive 10 seconds at 15 Gs!"

Linux Rocket Blasts Off This Fall

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So... (Score:4, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @12:57AM (#6158460)

I guess this redefines the term "crash."

NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

by Richardsonke1 ( 612224 ) * writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @12:58AM (#6158464)

plans to launch a Linux-powered rocket
I like linux as much as the next geek, but it is not linux powered. Maybe linux guided, but I don't think that linux is acutally causing it to move...

Bad idea (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @12:58AM (#6158466)

Do you really want to have to pay royalties to SCO on your rocket? There are high-quality commercial embedded OS's without much clearly defined IP rights, and no such liability issues, and I think its a good idea to go with the Gartner recommendation and avoid the potential legal issues with Linux for the time being.

I had to say it... (Score:2, Funny)

by Huxley_Dunsany ( 659554 ) writes: <huckdunsany@[ ].com ['mac' in gap]> on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @12:59AM (#6158474)

Imagine a Beo- aah, forget it.... :-) Huxley PS please don't hurt me...

Linux is nopw a terrorist tool! (Score:3, Funny)

by Melibeus ( 94008 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @12:59AM (#6158476)

and of course this will just encourage those rascally terrorist who want to build nasty rocketses and blow us all to smithereens. Since now they won't have to pay those pesky licence fees for operating systems for their WMDs.

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

by deadsaijinx* ( 637410 ) writes: <animemeken@hotmail.com> on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:02AM (#6158484) Homepage

yes, the rockets run off concentrated Geek (and therefore linux), a highly flammable substance, what with the high level of oil in the skin and all.

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

by BWJones ( 18351 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:02AM (#6158485) Homepage Journal

So......wait. All those "Linux Powered" bumperstickers I've seen don't mean that the car is moving under the power of Linux? Awwww. And I thought Linux was really cool.

Establishing link at 55,000 feet? (Score:5, Funny)

by psoriac ( 81188 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:03AM (#6158493)

I think the real question is will the pringles can survive 15 g's for 10 seconds?

Re:Not so fast (Score:3, Funny)

by aaaurgh ( 455697 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:04AM (#6158496)

"...MS-built engine"

It'll never get off the ground - too much bloat!

Wow (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:05AM (#6158512)

No matter how fast you've hand tuned your kernel, Linux at Mach 3 is fast as shit.

Trouble? (Score:5, Funny)

by Dumbush ( 676200 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:08AM (#6158519)

Bush: linux can be use to launch rocket? The very thing that terrorist lacks? It's free and distributed widely on the Internet? We got a problem here Ashcroft: not only that, but its source code is not encrypted, anyone could store a copy in their compueter. Bush: Then I'm assuming that even if we EMP all the computers, the source might still be stored somewhere as a printed copy? Ashcroft: I'm afraid so. I always have a problem tainting uses of technology Bush: then let's ban printers as well, that will buy you sometime.

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:3, Funny)

by kfg ( 145172 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:10AM (#6158526)

Indeed. Just wait until MS gets ahold of this idea and starts claiming Linux causes exothermic chemical reactions of a violent nature.

Obviously unsafe and a tool of terrorism that will virally infect your code. . . and then blow it up.

I'm dissapointed actually. I just printed out the kernel source code, rolled it up and stuffed it up the butt of an Estes rocket and, nothin'.

Maybe I should have printed it on flash paper.

KFG

Re:Software (Score:5, Funny)

by Zork the Almighty ( 599344 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:10AM (#6158530) Journal

kernel_panic() : This is a one way trip ! Aaaaaaa !

Embellishment (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:11AM (#6158531)

Wow, Linux gets more and more elaborate every day! An OS can provide the thrust for rocket engines and then some!

Can I get it to do my dishes and laundry for me too?

Re:Not so fast (Score:1, Funny)

by exspecto ( 513607 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:14AM (#6158547)

What a sight that would be. A rocket with butterfly wings.

Re:802.11b? (Score:2, Funny)

by korielgraculus ( 591914 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:16AM (#6158554)

You should see the rope full of repeaters that it has to drag behind it!

I'm glad to see... (Score:5, Funny)

by bad_fx ( 493443 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:17AM (#6158556) Journal

...that my design documents aren't the only ones that look like this [wired.com].

Slashdot powered! (Score:5, Funny)

by LoztInSpace ( 593234 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:18AM (#6158561)

MS are great. Linux is crap.
Now simply ride the flames that come out the back of that.....

A helpful hint: (Score:3, Funny)

by Bowie J. Poag ( 16898 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:19AM (#6158566) Homepage

Aim for Redmond, guys.

Re:802.11b? (Score:5, Funny)

by badboy_tw2002 ( 524611 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:22AM (#6158574)

Cringely got something like 10Km with a Pringles can, so I expect someone with more of a clue can push that to 55,000'.

I'm sorry, but whats a clue can and why is it better than pringles?

;) Thats how I read it the first time anyways...

Linux in space? (Score:1, Funny)

by Arctic Dragon ( 647151 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:23AM (#6158580)

Linux: light years ahead of Windows. Literaly!

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:3, Funny)

by tankdilla ( 652987 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:25AM (#6158582) Homepage Journal

Actually I think the rocket is powered by Open Source. Every time someone releases some new source code, the rocket goes higher and higher.

Re:Just the 802.11 card? I'd worry about the rest! (Score:2, Funny)

by babyrat ( 314371 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:39AM (#6158641)

I can't comment on the whole rocket thing, but I can attest to the fact that a compact flash card can survive a trip through the washing machine, including the spin cycle.

The pics that were on it were still there when it was through...didn't put it in the dryer though. Unfortunately the pics were not dirty to begin with, so I can't say whether or not they were cleaned in the whole process.

What kind of G's does a Kenmore produce?

Cheers,

Babyrat

Linux Powered or AMD Powered? (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:49AM (#6158681)

Sure the OS may be a version of Linux, but the really interesting part is that they've found a way to harness all of that heat from the AMD to get the rocket that far up!

Talk about potential for burn up on reentry though. :)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

by bloxnet ( 637785 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @01:54AM (#6158694)

Read the fscking article man. The damned rocket system includes an AMD proc. What do you think is providing the heat for fuel combustion???

Boot guidance system, wait 15 miutes, heat exhaust ignites fuel.

Oh damn, your still right...it's an AMD powered rocket. Sad attempt at humor ruined...aborting!

Right on! (Score:3, Funny)

by Rhinobird ( 151521 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @02:00AM (#6158709) Homepage

I was about to ask what the specific impulse of Linux was and if it changed from Intel to AMD to PowerPC. And if NASA knows about it. Heh...Imagine a Beowulf BOOSTER of those.

Humor Attempt of the Day. (Score:5, Funny)

by The Cydonian ( 603441 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @02:00AM (#6158711) Homepage Journal

Aww c'mon, they've only Linux. Not as if installing Linux is rocket-science...

Can we include HDD with illegal mp3s ? (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @02:02AM (#6158716)

What would RIAA do if a satellite full of
mp3s was launched with easy access for everybody ?

from the HOWTO (Score:5, Funny)

by martin-boundary ( 547041 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @02:14AM (#6158759)

This is an interesting excerpt from the HOWTO:
...
During system installation, it's important to use the right networking packages, to cope with the slightly nonstandard hardware. At the bash prompt, type:
% apt-get skynet
...

15Gs, no problem! (Score:3, Funny)

by rkuris ( 541364 ) writes: <rk@nospAM.unify.com> on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @02:25AM (#6158794) Homepage

You should have seen what I did to my network card after it stopped working! Amazingly, after an approximate 20G throw against the wall, it started working again!

Re:Not so fast (Score:3, Funny)

by NanoGator ( 522640 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @03:05AM (#6158907) Homepage Journal

"...MS-built engine"

It'll never get off the ground - too much bloat! "

"...Linux-built engine"

It'll never get off the ground - nobody wrote the man page for the launch command!

"Open the pod bay doors, Linux" (Score:2, Funny)

by ElectricPoppy ( 679857 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @03:11AM (#6158928)

modprobe: Can't locate module podbaydoors

Why this rocket won't fly. (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @03:19AM (#6158960)

First of all, the techs will spend 3 weeks just trying to install Linux. There won't be a single driver that's compatible, and the few that exist will be buggy. Each different tech will want a different version, one wants NASA-Linux, another wants Goddard-Linux, and they all will be uninstalling the previous install and secretly putting their own distibution on it. If they ever settle on one install, then they will discover there's no applications to run, except Windows versions. Finally they'll get fed up with it and just put OSX on.

Re:Can we include HDD with illegal mp3s ? (Score:5, Funny)

by dracocat ( 554744 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @03:22AM (#6158972)

What would RIAA do if a satellite full of mp3s was launched with easy access for everybody?

Easy, sue SCO, the owner of the patents for Linux for developing a platform that allowed such a satellite to be launched.

Viking III (Score:3, Funny)

by MrEd ( 60684 ) writes: <tonedog@h[ ]mail.net ['ail' in gap]> on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @03:38AM (#6159005)

Just imagine a MIRV cluster of these!

Re:I'm glad to see... (Score:2, Funny)

by HawkingMattress ( 588824 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @04:55AM (#6159210)

E.coyote ? It's you ? finally caught the damn roadrunner ??

NASA press release re. Linux powered rocket (Score:3, Funny)

by ThaReetLad ( 538112 ) writes: <sneaky@blueRABBI ... minus herbivore> on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @05:00AM (#6159219) Journal

"This is certainly a brave approach that throws everything we thought we knew about building a rocket" said NASA Ames' deputy director for research, G. Allen Flynt. "It shows that we've being doing it all wrong for years, trying to build ever more powerful, more efficient rocket motors, when the real solution was staring us in the face; Replace the expensive rocket motor with a cheap commodity PC running GNU/Linux. Brilliant. My hat goes off to these guys"

If it were flying with OpenBSD, then (Score:1, Funny)

by pkplex ( 535744 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @05:19AM (#6159252) Homepage

* it's coordinates would be sane by default

* it would weigh less ( no needless bloat )

* via propolice, buffer overflows ( explosion of rocket fuel ) would be far less likely to result in a rooted rocket

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

by YE ( 23647 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @05:42AM (#6159304)

Actually I think the rocket is powered by Open Source. Every time someone releases some new source code, the rocket goes higher and higher.

No, what you're thinking about is a hot air baloon.

Hope those guys have a good legal team ;p (Score:5, Funny)

by chronos82 ( 680032 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @05:52AM (#6159328) Homepage

NEWS JUST IN---->The RIAA has sued the makers of said rocket, as the 802.11b link could "techinically be used to share illegal files accross the network".

Sensible units (Score:2, Funny)

by Tarrio ( 151332 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @06:05AM (#6159358) Homepage

Since we're talking about rocketry, I think we should be using sensible units, not these so-called "feet".

FYI: 55000 feet are 543 femtoparsecs, or 1.77 picolightyears, or 112 nanoastronomicalunits.

Or 16.75 kilometres, while we're at it.

Idea for a caption on the side (Score:3, Funny)

by gilesjuk ( 604902 ) writes: <giles.jonesNO@SPAMzen.co.uk> on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @06:50AM (#6159428)

Paint on the side... "Try and examine the code on this SCO" :)

All the Linux detractors are right... (Score:2, Funny)

by paj1234 ( 234750 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @06:57AM (#6159439)

Linux really is rocket science.

Re:But does it? (Score:2, Funny)

by diablobsb ( 444773 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @07:41AM (#6159529)

Oh, and does anyone know the GPS coordinates of either SCO-HQ or redmond?

Or both if we are really going cluster :)

Patches (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @07:48AM (#6159544)

We will need to apply a few patches to make this work right.

1) Fix pesky bug that keeps sending rocket into orbit instead of its intended target in Redmond, WA

2) Install Beowolf Cluster munitions warhead

3) Profit!

Re:Bad idea (Score:4, Funny)

by TopShelf ( 92521 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @07:50AM (#6159550) Homepage Journal

It depends where the rocket is headed. Now where are those SCO headquarters again???

can't resist.... (Score:3, Funny)

by Griim ( 8798 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @08:20AM (#6159665) Homepage

I can see my /home from here!

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

by jaavaaguru ( 261551 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @08:22AM (#6159674) Homepage

Not to mention the flames caused by Vi and EMACS.

it will only blast off... (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @08:39AM (#6159761)

...if SCO says it can!!!

SCO RULES!!

Mach 3 (Score:5, Funny)

by micromoog ( 206608 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @08:46AM (#6159803)

. . . a speed of Mach 3 . . . The rocket's onboard computer is an AMD 586 processor . . .
Finally, somebody gets an AMD to run at a high speed.

Re:802.11b? (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @09:27AM (#6160084)

It's the can the clues come in, obviously, at least in the mid-west. Here on the eastern seaboard we like our clues sun-dried. Or, in my case, pickled. Then they come in a clue jar.

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:3, Funny)

by sharkey ( 16670 ) writes: on Tuesday June 10, 2003 @09:44AM (#6160233)

the rockets run off concentrated Geek
Mmmm. Soylent Fuel

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

So... (Score:4, Funny)

NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

Bad idea (Score:5, Funny)

I had to say it... (Score:2, Funny)

Linux is nopw a terrorist tool! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

Establishing link at 55,000 feet? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Not so fast (Score:3, Funny)

Wow (Score:1, Funny)

Trouble? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Software (Score:5, Funny)

Embellishment (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Not so fast (Score:1, Funny)

Re:802.11b? (Score:2, Funny)

I'm glad to see... (Score:5, Funny)

Slashdot powered! (Score:5, Funny)

A helpful hint: (Score:3, Funny)

Re:802.11b? (Score:5, Funny)

Linux in space? (Score:1, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Just the 802.11 card? I'd worry about the rest! (Score:2, Funny)

Linux Powered or AMD Powered? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

Right on! (Score:3, Funny)

Humor Attempt of the Day. (Score:5, Funny)

Can we include HDD with illegal mp3s ? (Score:1, Funny)

from the HOWTO (Score:5, Funny)

15Gs, no problem! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Not so fast (Score:3, Funny)

"Open the pod bay doors, Linux" (Score:2, Funny)

Why this rocket won't fly. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Can we include HDD with illegal mp3s ? (Score:5, Funny)

Viking III (Score:3, Funny)

Re:I'm glad to see... (Score:2, Funny)

NASA press release re. Linux powered rocket (Score:3, Funny)

If it were flying with OpenBSD, then (Score:1, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

Hope those guys have a good legal team ;p (Score:5, Funny)

Sensible units (Score:2, Funny)

Idea for a caption on the side (Score:3, Funny)

All the Linux detractors are right... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:But does it? (Score:2, Funny)

Patches (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Bad idea (Score:4, Funny)

can't resist.... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:5, Funny)

it will only blast off... (Score:1, Funny)

Mach 3 (Score:5, Funny)

Re:802.11b? (Score:1, Funny)

Re:NOT linux POWERED (Score:3, Funny)

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