No day is complete...

[alexpgp]

...without your Windows machine spontaneously rebooting on you.

My day, by the way, is complete in this regard.

Nonetheless, I managed to finish this translation, which has to do with doing a safety verification of software to be used on ISS. One interesting aspect of the document is the appearance of language that deals with "freely distributable software," naming shareware, freeware, and software released under the GPL as examples.

I recall an article from a few years ago in which it was stated categorically that only custom or commercially available software would ever fly on the station. Linux was specifically excluded in that article, owing to the perception that there was no one entity whose feet could be held to the fire if maintenance or support were required.

That seems to be changing.

In any event, the translation has been sent on its way, and it's time for me to get out and wriggle my muscles, at least a little bit. Last night's shift really tired me out, for some reason. It was a real drag driving home, and I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. There are two more days left of this schedule, and then it's likely I'll have all of Saturday to myself (Saturday was to be the extra flight day, if it were needed, but work progress has been good, and the flight will all but certainly not extend).

Then starting Sunday, I'll be doing execute package support and air-to-ground interpretation. I know the former is done during the day (yay!), but the latter tends to follow crew waking hours, which currently start around 4:30 am local time and end around midnight (yech!).

Cheers...

Comments

[madhacktress.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that when you talk about NASA works and the projects that you're working on you always refer to the ISS as just that, the ISS.

I'm just curious if that's generally the case within the MCC, or if they actually refer to the station by "Alpha".

Chirsytyn

ISS, not Alpha

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Over the past few years (and particularly since the end of "Phase 1," which was the series of Shuttle flights to the Mir station that started in 1995 and ended in 1997 or 1998 - I forget), NASA has assiduously attempted to eliminate any use of the word "Alpha" when referring to the ISS.

This was done, if my sources are correct, to remove any association with the idea that this station was the first of any series ('alpha' being the first letter of the greek alphabet, as well as the word used to designate the letter 'A' phonetically).

Historically, the 'alpha' is the residue of the design selection process back when space station Freedom was redesigned into the ISS; apparently, there were 'bravo', 'charlie', and 'delta' variants to choose from, too. 'Alpha' won, and the rest were scrapped.

The current commander's request, near the start of his flight, to use 'alpha' in the context of the station has been commonly understood as a request to name the station. However, if my understanding is correct, the name is intended to refer to the crew (not the station), as a kind of 'call sign', similar in nature to the call signs that Russian crews used on the Mir (e.g., Sirius, Hurricane), and which were bestowed on the crews by the respective commanders.

(Probably more than you want to know, but still...)

Cheers...

Re: ISS, not Alpha

[madhacktress.livejournal.com]

As a matter of fact that's exactly what I wanted to know.

Some of that I had heard already from other sources (mostly the news, with which I am addicted) but thank you for the extra explanation.

I wasn't aware that the moniker Alpha was indicative only of Bill Shepherd's crew on board. That makes sense since what I've read has noted him as "naming" the station, or at least, I guess, the station during his tenure as commander.

I have another question, too. Do the NASA astronauts on the station and the Russian Cosmonauts have to be bilingual? Or do they communicate with one another through mission control? That would seem, to me, to be a little odd.

I am very curious about NASA and the space programs from around the world. I'm sorry if I'm questions seem a little inane, but there're things like their communication to one another that are just left to the public's imagination. 8^)

Chirstyn

Re: ISS, not Alpha

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Do they have to be bilingual? I don't know what the official line is in this regard, but the fact of the matter is that the crews work very intensely and very closely together for extended periods of time, after which the members of the crew simply understand one another in the context of their mission.

All of the cosmonauts and astronauts, to the best of my knowledge, have been given language lessons. Unfortunately, the time available to develop language skills qua language skills is limited; most learning occurs during training and in the close association with other crew members.

In the final analysis, some members of the crew are probably not good candidates to give media interviews in their non-native language, but they are all capable of going about the work of flying a space station.

Does this answer your question?

Cheers...