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"Uptime 15,364 days - The Computers of Voyager" by Aaron Cummings

Strange Loop Conference3 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
349K views · talk · evergreen · Uploaded 2019-09-14

A Strange Loop 2019 talk by Aaron Cummings on the computing systems aboard Voyager 1 and 2, which control the spacecraft and record and return data decades after launch in 1977.

HN recommends it in Voyager threads as a good talk on how these old computers have proved durable and adaptable.

Space exploration & spaceflightEmbedded systems & DIY electronicsHistory of computing

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4 comments from Hacker News

@bullen2021 · in “Nuclear lighthouses built by the Soviets in the Arctic [video]”

In Sweden between 1930-1970 we produced building elements from concrete where oilshale was used to burn the chalk and the ashes of the fuel was mixed into the concrete! That shale ash was so rich in uranium that the concrete turned blue! Since then thousands have died by passively breathing the radon evaporation from the walls in some Swedish houses. On the subject RTG elements are also used in space probes: [VIDEO]

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@retrac2023 · in “NASA has reestablished full communications with Voyager 2”

There's a book on the computers used at NASA from the beginning through to when it was written - late 80s, I think. Whole thing is available online [1] It has a chapter titled "Voyager - The Flying Computer Center". [2] It gives a high-level overview of the computers and software. Three different processors, each dual redundant. 18 and 16 bit machines. Comparable to early 1970s minicomputers. There's a good talk about the computers on the Voyagers available online here. [3] As far as I know, beyond what's available between those two sources, very little otherwise is available publicly on the computer hardware itself - no detailed architecture descriptions, instruction sets, electronics details, etc. And no software listings. Though if I had to guess the 18-bit machines are a lot like - but not the same as - the OBP/AOP/NSSC series [4]. A bit of Voyager trivia: the computers were reprogrammed in-flight to give new abilities the Voyagers didn't have at launch, such as new image compression algorithms to allow more images to be returned than originally anticipated. [1] [LINK] [2] [LINK] [3] [VIDEO] [4] [LINK]

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@throwaway888abc2023 · in “NASA wants the Voyagers to age gracefully, so it's time for a software patch”

Love the Voyagers story. Just get me thinking: Why there is not more missions like this ? It takes significant time to cross "somewhere there", every year one launch could not hurt ? Edit: *Obligatory video: "Uptime 15,364 days - The Computers of Voyager" by Aaron Cummings [VIDEO] Also here on HN: [LINK]

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@ForHackernews2024 · in “Voyager Spacecraft and Fortran 5”

If you're interested in the computers on the Voyager probes, this talk was really good: "Uptime 15,364 days" [VIDEO]

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