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Space Shuttle Using Parts Bought On eBay
from the we-knew-it-was-useful-for-something dept
NASA built the space shuttle a long time ago using state of the art parts. Well, obviously, over the years the state of the art has advanced quite a bit, but the space shuttles are still the same. So, where does NASA go to pick up replacement parts? Apparently, eBay and Yahoo's auction site are their shopping venues of choice (though, admittedly, these are for servicing and support gear - and not the shuttle itself). They're trying to hoard older computer parts, like the old 8086 chip. They say they're only buying in bulk, so it's unlikely they'll want your junked PC that's been collecting dust in the basement.
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No Subject Given
something strikes me as very weird
cant they replace some of this shit?
8 floppy drives?
just convert the damn boards to use newer drive?
no?
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it's not weird at all...
NASA needs to make sure that everything works. And it's probably cheaper to use the "old" parts than to test "new" hardware for incompatibilities. I'm sure if the old parts became impossible to find or too expensive, then NASA _would_ convert to newer parts.....
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Scuttle the shuttle give us S.S.T.O.- Having a ship fall apart to get to its destination seems to me as outdated as an 8086 ;)
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