liqmat wrote on 2022-06-25, 03:01:

https://www.techradar.com/news/mars-probe-run … ter-two-decades

Thank you! 🙂 By Windows 98 standards, that's remarkable I think.
I just hope it's Windows 98SE that's running, since the original version had some stability issues.

Well the probe itself isn't running windows 98 it's software was developed on windows 98. The probe itself is running a RTOS just like all other space craft. Still a cool story and Mars Express has been a fantastic mission and a great companion to NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission.

If it was running Win98 it would not have made it out of orbit.

gimme patch 🤣 great story though thanks!

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2022-06-25, 08:52:

Well the probe itself isn't running windows 98 it's software was developed on windows 98. The probe itself is running a RTOS just like all other space craft. Still a cool story and Mars Express has been a fantastic mission and a great companion to NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission.

Yes, that's what some other news pages say, too.
This one does at least say "developed in Windows 98" in the head line.

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/mars-probe- … ndows-98-update

However, it then goes on with saying "Chances of running Doom on Mars intensify". *sigh*
That's what I was referring to when I mentioned today's sensational press. 😔
This is one of these cases when the comment section has more potential value than the news page's article itself.:

"Mars Express uses multiple Dynex MA31750 CPUs clustered in pairs onto a CDMUs (Command & Data Management Units),
of where there are also a pair (for 4 total CPUs), all running the 1750A instruction set.

Mars Express uses an RTOS rather than a regular desktop OS,
very likely VxWorks (the project predates ESA's switching of most of their development to RTEMS)."

kolderman wrote on 2022-06-25, 09:13:

If it was running Win98 it would not have made it out of orbit.

Lol. 😂 Maybe, yes. To be honest, I would believe ESA to be capable to pull a stunt like this.
It also fits into that time period nicely.
Historically, western Europe is/was very submissively dependent on MS, I think.
Generations of (young) people, students, literally grew up with nothing else.
In my country, several attempts were made to free us from Windows/Office monopoly in schools and public institutions (famous example).
But politicians, teachers, conservative users and questionable deals slowed that process down.
I wouldn't have been surprised thus if one of those researchers really had written mission software based on VBA or something similar.
Or if an instrument ran on Windows, even.

That being said, at least the Windows 3.x line was in parts dependable, as it seems.
Early on, Windows 3.x often played the role of an embedded systems, akin to Win CE.
It was used in multimedia systems (Tandy VIS), cash registers and on multimedia systems aboard airplanes.
Windows 9x setup used it as a runtime (mini.cab), also.
Some airport software, DECOR, used it too, until a hardware failure happened (one of the better news reports).
Which, of course, was barely mentioned really. Sensational press, again.
Of course, no one bowed down in awe for a hardware / software combination that lasted for 23 years (nearly a quarter of a century).
Instead, people made fun of it. *sigh* 😒

Tiny update. NASA staff is looking for ~45 years old documents.

https://www.sciencealert.com/engineers-are-se … ot-its-glitches

Hopefully they can find the documents they need. I'd love to see them keep these probes going for as long as possible.

I think the voyager probes are great will miss them when gone but happy to outlive them!

Tiny update. Found some 3D models of the Voyagers.

https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/jpl-vtad-voyager
https://www.3dcadbrowser.com/3d-model/voyager-probe-74068

Tiny update. Found some Voyager material for Celestia, the awesome space simulator.

Voyager 2 Simulation Celestia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhBtzbXRgyQ

Voyager 1 Simulation Celestia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-JlyzXQbg

3D models
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/spacecraft.html

And here's a computer-generated flight path simulation from the 70s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na1mLpjxmYY

Edit: Link #2 fixed.

Tiny update. Found old pictures of the Voyagers and mission control published by NASA/JPL.

Tiny update. Found an article entitled "The long shot".
It also covers the Interstellar Probe and how it compares to Voyager.

https://www.science.org/content/article/voyag … nd-solar-system

Awesome pictures you found. That article looks like a good read I'll have to check it out later this evening.

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2022-08-17, 17:52:

Awesome pictures you found. That article looks like a good read I'll have to check it out later this evening.

You're welcome. ^^

Hi everyone. Today, it was exactly 5 years ago that this thread was created!

I wholeheartedly thank all of you who wrote back
or even just made a visit here and wish you the very best for the future. ^_^

Very nice. Space and rockets are a huge passion of mine.

https://greekreporter.com/2022/08/20/best-tim … hot-tv-history/

Thank you very much! ^^

Quick update. The problem with the bogus data has been solved (for now).
As it turned out, the data was accidentally processed by a defective on-board computer.
It's still unclear why that happened. The computer was suspended from service years ago.
For some reason, the control system decided to use it again (each core system is installed multiple times for redundancy).
More information:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/engineers-so … asa-s-voyager-1

https://www.space.com/voyager-1-data-glitch-solved

Quick update. I think I've missed a few events in the meantime..

But here's an interesting one: There happened a little accident just recently, which caused Voyager 2's high-gain antenna to be pointing away from earth a little bit.

Luckily, Voyager 2 has a correctional program installed which re-adjusts the antenna automatically by using the Star Tracker device (by using Canopus as reference).
It's running a few times a year automatically. Next time is October 15th 2023. Let's cross fingers everything will work fine. 🙂🤞

Information: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-mission-up … nications-pause