[HOME ] [ABOUT] [PHOTOS] [VIDEO] [BLOG] [HOUSTON] [TEXAS] [U.S. NEWS] [WORLD NEWS] [SPORTS] [POP CULTURE] [CONTACT]
NASA command codes that control space station lost
by Joseph Earnest March 2, 2012
Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — NASA's inspector general told Congress in a written testimony discussing the agency's cybersecurity that an encrypted laptop stolen from them last year, contained command codes used to control the International Space Station.
Inspector General Paul Martin informed the U.S. House of Representatives in the letter on Wednesday March 1, that the theft of the computer containing the ISS command algorithms was just one of 5, 408 computer security incidents [in 2010 and 2011] that resulted in the installation of malicious software on or unauthorized access to [NASA] systems.
Despite
the setback, on Feb. 29, NASA successfully conducted another drop test of the Orion
crew vehicle's entry, descent and landing parachutes high above the
Arizona desert in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test in
2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before,
provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel
and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.
An Air Force C-17
plane dropped a test version of Orion from an altitude of 25,000 feet
above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. Orion's drogue
chutes were deployed between 15,000 and 20,000 feet, followed by the
pilot parachutes, which deployed the main landing parachutes. Orion
landed on the desert floor at a speed of almost 17 mph, well below the
maximum designed touchdown speed of the spacecraft. (pop-up)
The test
examined how Orion's wake, the disturbance of the air flow behind the
vehicle, would affect the performance of the parachute system.
Parachutes perform optimally in smooth air that allows proper lift. A
wake of choppy air can reduce parachute inflation. The test was the
first to create a wake mimicking the full-size Orion vehicle and
complete system.
Since 2007, the Orion program has conducted a
vigorous parachute air and ground test program and provided the chutes
for NASA's successful pad abort test in 2010. All of the tests build an
understanding of the chutes' technical performance for eventual
human-rated certification. Add
Comments>>
|
|
Join the Newscast Media social networks
for current events and multimedia content.
Copyright© Newscast Media. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Privacy Policy