Category Archives: Space

NASA response to my FOIA request

Posted on June 29, 2006 by Eric

I was pleasantly surprised today to receive email from NASA regarding my FOIA request. They sent me PDF files of recent editions (November 2005) of the manuals I requested on the HAL/S programming languages and compilers, which are used for … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Software, Space | 6 Comments

NASA ignoring some concerns over Space Shuttle safety

Posted on June 18, 2006 by Eric

Reuters reports that NASA is pushing forward with their plan to lauch Discovery on July 1st, despite NASA’s top safety officer and lead engineer both opposing the flight. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin points out that if the Shuttle is damaged … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog/website/news comments, Space | Leave a comment

FOIA request to NASA regarding HAL/S programming language

Posted on May 22, 2006 by Eric

I’ve been trying to get a copy of the HAL/S Language Specification for some time. HAL/S is the programming language used for the on-board software of the Space Shuttle. A contact at NASA was able to provide me with a … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Software, Space | 2 Comments

That giant flushing sound…

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eric

is the sound of NASA pouring another $318 million down the ISS rathole. While I’m actually an advocate of manned space exploration, the ISS is nearly completely useless, and there’s no good reason to waste even more money on it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants, Space | Leave a comment

Shenzhou 6

Posted on September 26, 2005 by Eric

Best wishes to the crew of Shenzhou 6, the next Chinese manned space flight! It was just announced that the launch has been scheduled for 13 October 2005.

Posted in Current Events, Space | Leave a comment