Dodgy wet wiring caused ISS computer crash

The guidance computers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) did not fail because of the newly-installed power systems, as initially supposed. It was actually a single corroded connection and "shocking" circuit design that caused the control systems to power down back in June. Writing for the IEEE publication Spectrum, …

[Dom]

Relations on board.

Actually he *doesn't* say that it "left international relations between the US and Russian team on board the ISS at an all-time low"; he does comment about the state of play on the ground, though.

[Jason Harvey]

typical

blame anyone/thing but yourself... never take responsibility for any situation. It's amazing how few people will actually own up to a problem and seek out a solution instead of blaming world+dog.

[Martin Gregorie]

Corrosion causes short?

It would be interesting to know more technical details. IME corrosion is far more likely to cause open circuits than shorts. What was so different this time?

Re blame spreading: this is nothing new. Whenever a project has more than one supplier and there's a problem the suppliers ALWAYS waste time pointing the finger at each other instead of solving the problem.

[Dr. Ellen]

Computers In Space!

It is nothing special. Any time you have more than one source for a computer system, the entity that supplied part A will blame the entity that supplied part B, and vice versa, for any problems.

[Steve]

Wet wiring

When I read "Dodgy wet wiring" in the title I was expecting to ready about some new embedded man-machine stuff that had gone wrong. Ah well, too much Peter F Hamilton perhaps...

[Anonymous Coward]

Relations

"...relations between the US and Russian team on board..."

Pix or it didn't happen.

[Rick Brasche]

Agh @ Steve

why do y'all keep bringing up Hamilton? It's been too long since he's written anything new, and your constant reminders just rub salt in the wound:P

which reminds me, I've got to get my girlfriend to read the Mindstar books, I already got her to go thru the whole Reality Dysfunction.

[Mattias Borell]

@ Rick Brasche

> It's been too long since he's written anything new, and your constant reminders just rub salt in the wound:P

Well, he _did_ release 'The Dreaming Void' this summer, but waiting for the second part of that planned trilogy is now going to be rather painful...

[Marty]

So how are they going to blame....

So how the hell are they going to blame Microsoft for this..... thats the usual thing is it not?

surly if the guidance computer's were running a linux disto it just wouldent of happened...