Space Shuttle using ThinkPads?

[sojourner]

Been watching NASA video of the recent space shuttle mission. Now docked with the space station, they showed the astronauts prepping Europe's new space station module, Columbus (which was just attached).

Wouldn't you know, glued to the left side of the screen was one of the laptops used in the module, turned on. Kept looking at it, looking at it because it looked familiar. Wouldn't you know, lo-and-behold, it's a THINKPAD!

NASA TV:
REALPLAYER
http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram

WMP
http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx


mod edit: moved to general forum as this isn't T4x specific.

[Peak2Peak]

Well I have heard people say that they think ThinkPads are out of this World! - Sorry couldn't resist!

[rkawakami]

This comes up every now and then... usually when there's a shuttle mission to the ISS. Here's some posts from the archives about NASA and Thinkpads:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=13759
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=27352
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=35743

[Jim Mc]

while it is not NASA, if you watch ESPN, they have an AM sports radio show(which is also broadcast on ESPN2), and one of the hosts (Mike Golic) also has a thinkpad. I have seen a guest host sit in(Mark Schlereth) and he had a Thinkpad as well. Golic's looks to be a -20, Schlereth looks to have a -40 or -60.

[mattbiernat]

... and i thought that the gov't banned thinkpads because they are owned by a chinese company...

[portsample]

This photo was posted last week on the NASA twitter feed celebrating the marvels of the ISS in comparison w/Kubricks "2001" vision of a space station.
Only the tiniest bit of irony given that these units are all nearly a decade or more old.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk15 ... bab19.jpeg

[pianowizard]

This photo was posted last week on the NASA twitter feed celebrating the marvels of the ISS in comparison w/Kubricks "2001" vision of a space station.

The caption says: "In '2001', flat-screen computer monitors were unheard of when filmed in 1968..." But didn't that movie show an iPad-like tablet at one point?

[kony]

Check out this thread:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=112101

It's more about the real use of Thinkpads and computers in space, not so much about the movie as the title suggests.

[brchan]

Does anyone know if Thinkpads will still be used on the ISS? A while ago HP was trying to get their laptops to be used on the ISS instead of Thinkpads.

[axur-delmeria]

Does anyone know if Thinkpads will still be used on the ISS?

Well, they're still being used now: http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/u ... c7e9_k.jpg
The caption reads: Scott Kelly and Lindgren practice a simulated docking aboard the station.



The picture is part of Ars Technica's short article on Kjell Lindgren's experience returning to Earth aboard a Soyuz.

[Ibthink]

ThinkPads will be replaced by HP ZBook 15 G2 models, since HP is also NASAs general technology provider, and the US government loves HP^^

[rambo47]

ThinkPads will be replaced by HP ZBook 15 G2 models, since HP is also NASAs general technology provider, and the US government loves HP^^

Considering that ThinkPads are now made by a Chinese company, I hardly blame NASA. And when you consider the recent hoopla about some of the junk Lenovo pre-loaded on some models, I'd dump them too.

[n2ri]

many Gov depts used IBM TPs for years. then went Dell when Lenovo got IBM. it was contract bids for US products long as available for security.