The best pictures you've seen.

[EX12693]

NASA's manned spaceflight has been cut, but they're still launching unmanned craft.

[Cortexian]

Yeah the only thing that was cut from NASA was the Shuttle program basically.

Which is actually a good thing, since the Shuttles were blowing up and stuff, you know... That and the fact that my computer is probably more powerful than all of the computers that run the existing Shuttles combined.

[=sw=warlord]

Most modern computers are more advanced than the computers on the shuttles.
So yours being more powerful isn't all that much of a surprise.

[DarkHalo003]

Most modern computers are more advanced than the computers on the shuttles.
So yours being more powerful isn't all that much of a surprise.

Which is the general problem with the NASA programs; most everything is out of date and still stuck a few decades behind.

[Cortexian]

Yeah it's because they want the funding to upgrade EVERYTHING all at once IIRC. That just isn't going to happen and they should ammend their plan to upgrade hardware like everyone else, in increments.

[Amit]

What the...? Really They be living in the 80's with their shuttle computers? Fuck that.

[DarkHalo003]

What the...? Really They be living in the 80's with their shuttle computers? Fuck that.

I dunno, shit made in the 80s is pretty durable. Would you really want a space shuttle to run on Windows 7? OH GOD, even worse, WINDOWS 8?

[ICEE]

I dunno, shit made in the 80s is pretty durable. Would you really want a space shuttle to run on Windows 7? OH GOD, even worse, WINDOWS 8?

Hey it would be just fine in windows 7 as long as NO ONE LOADS THE FONTS

but srsly NASA should be using highly specialized software. Though the modern desktop has more than enough computing power than is necessary to navigate space.

Edirt: This is an interesting and contextually relative article by my favorite astronomer/blogger/science author

Why we invest in science

[n00b1n8R]

You all realise the reason they used ancient hardware is because it's tried and tested and far more reliable than modern technology. Every time your computer crashes is equivalent to a shuttle blowing up. Now tell me they should update.

[DarkHalo003]

You all realise the reason they used ancient hardware is because it's tried and tested and far more reliable than modern technology. Every time your computer crashes is equivalent to a shuttle blowing up. Now tell me they should update.

FUCKING WINDOWS OS.