Space shuttle's 30-year-old computer accelerates launch


New Scientist reported that the shuttle Discovery's 30-year-old computer may not recognize the change from 2006 to 2007; as a result, the next launch is being scheduled to avoid having the shuttle in orbit on New Year's day.

The Associated Press quotes astronaut Joan Higginbotham saying, "We've just never had the computers up and going when we've transitioned from one year to another. We're not really sure how they're going to operate."

Why are we flying shuttles with 30-year-old computers? Why can't NASA just reset the clock forward to just before New Year's and see what happens?

Posted: Monday - November 20, 2006 at 02:12 AM          

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