Bidding Against NASA

From: Russ Blakeman <rhb57_at_vol.com>
Date: Mon May 13 13:02:57 2002

I'm sure much of their equipment is "electrically hardened" meaning overly
shielded to allow about any type component to withstand radiation and EMF
effects. The electronics in the Boeing AGM-86 series "ALCM/CALCM" are old
electronics for the most part (being designed in the early 80's) but they
can withstand a hellof an EMF field if one of a barrage of missiles goes to
target while the others are flying and the EMF/radiation from the blast
would normally kill the flying missiles' electronic systems. Of course temp
extremes are another consideration.

Makes you wonder if the monkey they show in the early test missions wasn't
actually flying the mission instead of the electronics of the early to mid
60's era.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
[mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Douglas H.
Quebbeman
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 10:34 AM
To: ClassicCmp List
Subject: Re: Bidding Against NASA


> > But among 8-inch floppy drives and other unspecified
> > items, NASA is buying up all the 8086 microprocessors
> > they can lay their hands on, specifically, to keep the
> > Space Shuttle flying. Not the more common 8088, of
> > course, but its 16-bit big brother.
>
> That explains why NASA can't get a real space program
> going ... Intel is behind it!

> Anyway they would need space/radiation rated chips,
> not the garden variety stuff.

The stated use is for ground testing equipment, not
near-earth deployment.

Regards,
-dq
Received on Mon May 13 2002 - 13:02:57 BST