Xbox 360 is More Powerful Than Space Shuttle Computer

[Marcus Yam]

Of course, it is an old computer...

Xbox 360 is More Powerful Than Space Shuttle Computer : Read more

 

[garage1217]

Well just ask yourself... would you trust your life to the reliability of an xbox 360? lol

 

[skaz]

So does this mean my PC can create a portal to the past and future? Just wondering.

 

[Guest]

This is so incredibly old - you do not need a gaming tier computer or render farm to operate a shuttle.

The military also uses old computers for many tasks. Use the right tool for the right job.

 

[amigafan]

Indeed Red Ring of Death would also mean your death

 

[southernshark]

I am sure they kept building and using the same old computer so that the Government contractor who built it could keep supplying replacement parts for it for a million dollars per part, rather than just going out and spending 300 bucks on a new computer that is 10 times stronger.

 

[burnley14]

I remember hearing once that my TI-84 graphing calculator was more powerful than the computer that landed the Apollo 11 shuttle on the moon. If that's true, this certainly doesn't surprise me.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

As far as I know, spacecraft computers were never 'strong'... the Moon crafts had like 128KB RAM or something? Don't remember the exact number, just know it was ridiculously small. So, most likely, even a P4 is more powerful than a space shuttle computer.

 

[delazaren]

I want Linux on my XBOX

 

[Darkk]

Well, the computer onboard the space shuttle is custom built and designed specifically for it. This isn't a your typical PC that you can buy, even 30 years ago. Despite it's age it's pretty damn reliable for running that long.

Some missions today are using standard off the shelf stuff. Look at the success of the rover missions on Mars.

So I wouldn't be surprised if the space hubble is still being powered by an old 486 processor. Pretty advanced for it's time, very obsolete by today's standards.

 

[Zagen30]

The project manager on the Mars rover project spoke at my college a few years ago and explained why the rovers have relatively old and "underpowered" computing resources: chips that were designed to run just fine on earth may be too easily damaged in drastically different environmental conditions of space and other planets, and that older technology is actually hardier and less likely to be damaged by things like vastly more intense cosmic rays. While that's not exactly the same situation as the space shuttles, there were probably similar concerns with them.

Considering how complicated a shuttle launch is, I would stick with a tried-and-true method.

 

[bak0n]

Every single one of my 8 p.c.'s is more powerful than an xbox 360. That means very little.

 

[Guest]

The real question is if the shuttle has an app store and who is it backing in the HTML5 vs Flash debate?

 

[drwho1]

Even my PS3 is years ahead of the 360, but it doesn't mean ****, after all both platforms are only good as the games that you play on them.

 

[nekoangel]

Doesnt the space shuttle use 486's. I remember years back NASA was looking to buy more new in box 486's for the shuttle as their supply was getting short.

 

[jhansonxi]

[citation][nom]Darkk[/nom]Well, the computer onboard the space shuttle is custom built and designed specifically for it. This isn't a your typical PC that you can buy, even 30 years ago. Despite it's age it's pretty damn reliable for running that long. Some missions today are using standard off the shelf stuff. Look at the success of the rover missions on Mars. So I wouldn't be surprised if the space hubble is still being powered by an old 486 processor. Pretty advanced for it's time, very obsolete by today's standards.[/citation]Likely correct. It's fault-tolerant and probably uses relatively large die features so as to limit the effect of cosmic rays. It's also radiation-hardened.

 

[calmstateofmind]

The only programs their computers run are trajectory simulations and real time updates of those courses. It's not like they need a 1080p display of a white line on a black background...

 

[liveonc]

Brings to mind, do we need better hardware or better software, & do we need to choose?

 

[nevertell]

Dedicated systems have lower hardware requirements to achieve the same "work" performance. NEWS HERE!!!

 

[pepe2907]

"So, most likely, even a P4 is more powerful than a space shuttle computer."
They were contracted in the early 70's and first started to fly in early 80s /first one was Columbia in 81st if I am not wrong. Originally were equipped with 8086 processors as I remember. So they were WAY less powerfull as a P4