Shuttle Computer Not Designed For New Year While in Flight
Posted on November 30, 2006 Comments (1)
Shuttle Discovery to launch at night:
If the launch does not happen on Dec. 7, NASA can keep trying through Dec. 17. After that, the agency will re-evaluate its options and may call it quits until January.
NASA wants Discovery back from its 12-day mission by New Year’s Eve because shuttle computers are not designed to make the change from the 365th day of the old year to the first day of the new year while in flight.
The space agency has figured out a solution for the New Year’s Day problem, but managers are reluctant to try it since it has not been thoroughly tested.
I heard this on the radio this morning. Am I the only one that finds this fairly amazing?
One Response to “Shuttle Computer Not Designed For New Year While in Flight”
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December 7th, 2006 @ 10:06 am
I wonder what issues a night launch adds to the mix?