Edgy: HPE's first message from the International Space Station to Microsoft's Azure? 'hello world'

Microsoft and HPE were cock-a-hoop yesterday with the trumpeting of data bursts from HPE hardware aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to Microsoft's Azure, starting with the inevitable "hello world". HPE's first spaceborne computer, based on an Apollo 40-class system, returned to Earth in 2019 after nearly two years …

[John Robson]

Appropriate message

Given where the information started...

[TeeCee]

The next message?

As it's HPE, that'll be; "Here's your invoice for consultancy, customization and installation services - ${eye_watering_sum}".

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: The next message?

Oracle would have found a way of charging you a new licence fee each time the ISS orbit passed over a different territory

[big_D]

Windows for Space Stations, anyone?

The problem is, the have to keep all windows closed at all times...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Windows for Space Stations, anyone?

Not a problem - Windows is closed software.

OTOH, when the inevitable bork happens, I doubt the astronauts are going to want to turn the ISS off and on again.

[Howard Sway]

Microsoft and HPE were cock-a-hoop yesterday

I think the spy satellites have got a bit further than sending down "hello world" for many decades now. I mean, you can see my garden shed on Google Earth.

Still, as it probably took a month to upload the program with all the required .NET runtimes, I'm sure the champagne corks must have been popping.

[Pascal Monett]

"self-sufficient computers enable self-sufficient explorers"

Um, yeah. Just like everything space-worthy has been from the beginning.

Does Borkzilla really believe it will have Windows 1 0 operating a million miles away from Earth ? Not happening.

Even a Moon base will not be able to use an OS that needs to phone home every day, or in order to install a new machine.

Linux is the future. Period.

[MatthewSt]

Re: "self-sufficient computers enable self-sufficient explorers"

Apart from email... https://office-watch.com/2009/using-outlook-from-orbit/amp/

[My other car WAS an IAV Stryker]

Photo caption

It's not the cabling (left side of the unit) that's the biggest risk, it's the things that appear to be fluid connections (cooling, most likely) on the right. I wouldn't want to have those go bad (leak) in microgravity!

Like I always told the a certain cooling engineer, if you nick the insulation on a cable (and don't make actual knife-to-conductor contact or have good gloves) or have a disconnected connector (either way, insulator = air and we're talking well under breakdown voltage), electrons are polite enough to stay put without an exit path. Nick a cooling or hydraulic hose, and you'll have a big mess to clean up (with possible burns to treat). He always replied with "I don't trust electrons since I can't see them."

[MachDiamond]

Dasvedanya Russia

Russia is planning to withdraw from ISS and do their own thing or partner with China. With the routine gutting of NASA's budget, they'll be down to ISS and the Senate Launch System as their only two projects. ISS is already described as smelling like a prison with a combination of antiseptic, Body Odor and rotting garbage. I have to wonder if they are going to keep it going like Mir were it just got more and more broken due to systems being used long past their planned dates. With Starlink destined to turn LEO into the devils pinball arcade, it might not be a good idea to keep people up there much longer.