Linux on a Saturn V?

[Oren Beck]

On Dec 17, 2007 8:12 AM, Brian Kelsay <ripcrd at gmail.com> wrote:

> Quick answer, yes, it could.  Long answer, maybe, it's not as easy as you
> think.
>
> A lot of what's complicated about space-flight software is that it must be
> automated and more importantly it must be timed just right.  Linux or any
> other SpaceFlight OS is going to need to monitor fuel burn rate, thrust and
> altitude.  It will need to monitor and control gimbals on the engines,
> various consumable stores and other instrument based readings.  It will need
> to make decisions based on these readings and not get locked up or
> confused.  It will need to be able to transmit all these readings back home
> and send some radio signals or change frequency at minimum when key
> decisions are made.  These are to let ground control know what is going on
> when they are not in control or too far away to make quick changes.  The
> further away the craft is, the longer it takes to send a command.
>
> Can it do it, definitely yes.   But each craft and mission is different.
> I'd bet that they want the hard real time Linux for this.
>
>
>
>
>
Yes, that would be a very valid set of issues.
I see also some major rewards ot the mundanr Linux world from folding the
hardening concepts back into all of Linux.
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