[amsat-bb] Re: Uh, ISS, We Have a Problem...

[Andrew Koenig]

To be honest, I'm not surprised that they can control a billion dollar
station with just a few laptops from hundreds of miles away from Mission
Control. I remember during Hurricane Rita, mission control was given to the
Russian space agency, and NASA was evacuated (look into Zone A and Zone B in
Houston evac maps, I live in Zone B btw).

Hopefully the JSC isn't flattened, since the track is headed right up
towards it.

>From my evacuation site, KE5GDB

On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 3:10 AM, Nate Duehr <nate at natetech.com> wrote:

>
> On Sep 11, 2008, at 11:07 PM, Clint Bradford wrote:
>
> > Well, it's happening right now. Eleven laptop computers in a nearby
> > hotel are controlling the ISS, since NASA's Johnson Space Center in
> > Houston closed Thursday due to the approaching storm.
>
>
> Working for a company that makes videoconferencing gear, and putting
> that out as a "disclaimer"... it made me think ... wow... not a whole
> lot of excuses for not using modern technology and closing down LOTS
> of "old fashioned" office buildings whenever possible, with more
> professionals working from home.
>
> Less fuel/cars, less travel, lots of other benefits... and the kicker
> phrase to use to get people thinking differently...
>
> "Hey, if you can control ISS from a hotel room..."
>
> Lots of hams with complete "remote control" ham shacks, and clubs
> doing it too for the folks who can't have towers/antennas.  I'd rather
> see those folks able to do what they like with their land they OWN,
> including towers if they want.  So un-American to put up with
> Homeowner's Associations and forced contracts of behavior for your own
> LAND... but... it's cool that the technology along with broadband
> Internet, allows things to get done easily from "somewhere else",
> securely, safely, and it all works.
>
> Of course, the geek in me wants to know HOW they're doing it.
> Wouldn't it be cool if there's a bunch of VNC or similar free tools
> doing the job?  I doubt it, but hey... whatever.  They're pulling it
> off.
>
> Wonder how they're getting the comms back and forth too... is the
> voice comm person in the hotel room too?
>
> Yeah, yeah, I know they have some folks staying in Mission Control...
> but it's still cool.  And obviously "do-able" to "remote control"
> everything -- well mostly everything.  (There's mention on
> SpaceFlightNow's article that the solar panel pointing, of all goofy
> things, isn't something they can do from the hotel room.  Wonder why?)
>
> --
> Nate Duehr, WY0X
> nate at natetech.com
>
>
>
>
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-- 
73's
Andrew K.
KE5GDB
http://www.thathamkid.com