This reminds me of the behind-the-scenes tour I took at NASA a couple years ago. (The “VIP” tour for $80 or so is some of the best money you’ll ever spend.) In mission control, I noticed that one of the big wall screens had what looked like a DOS command shell up in one corner. I asked what it was for and found out that in today’s space shuttles, commands are entered into the main computer in HEX. Same software that was in use during the Apollo era is in use today. HEX. I kid you not.
MM (in TX)
Backup, surely. But it does work when all else fails.
With HEX, there is no disputing who is to blame. There is no (t much anyway) abstraction.
“Same software that was in use during the Apollo era is in use today.”
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Some of the software I wrote back in the 70’s is still used in every launch from the Cape. So I am not at all surprised. In many ways it is comforting to know that what was designed and built then is still the best now.