iPod takes one small step for PMPs, one giant leap for consumer electronics
By Darren Murph 
posted March 15th 2008 12:48PM
posted March 15th 2008 12:48PM
posted March 15th 2008 12:48PM
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man i was just messin guys... joshin ya...everyone knows the ipod is the best thing in the world c'mon!
How much do you wanna bet they are jamming to Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride as they lift off with that thing.
Nice Star Trek reference.
$10 against for Rocket Man.
Slashdot linked to this story about what you don't know about living in space..
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=4450259
2 bits of IPod trivia.. they have to run them on alkaline batteries as the lithium packs are not certified for shuttle flight. The other is that the IPod is not certified for the space station, so they have to leave them in the shuttle.
Come on, Microsoft, take a lesson here.
I can see it now.
"exploding ipod brings down space shuttle"
Boy that doesn't look like any of the new iPods I see in the store. Oh wait, it's an old ass iPod. You'd think with the many times these astronauts have traveled around the world, they'd have enough NASA Skymiles to get a latest and greatest iPod Classic or Touch...oh well.
Does the owner of this know nothing? Listen to your local law enforcement officer and never leave an expensive electronic device where it can be seen through the windows of your vehicle. They are just asking for someone to come along, break the window and steal it.
Yeah, everyone knows orbit is a bad neighborhood.
LOLOLOLOL!!!!1
Not if it's a Zune. They'd probably put money under the wiper.
talk about surfing on a rocket ^^
Even scarier is being an astronaut on the shuttle and realising that the iPod probably has more processing power than the shuttles on board systems.
Uh, you're thinking about the Apollo capsules. They don't fly those any more.
Sure, the shuttles are old, but you don't think they've upgraded the on-board systems?
Ipods have been going into space for years, this is not news. Also, it is a fourth generation Ipod because it has had to go through extensive environmental testing and adaptation. In space, you have higher levels of radiation, and also the physical hardware must be proven to function in a pretty unforgiving environment. NASA takes years to certify any electronics going into space, so it is not like the astronauts just grabbed one off the shelf of an Apple store/online.
Not many people "in the social" in space
Really, they're probably listening to Rush's "Countdown."
Most expensive Apple ad evar.
I'm sure this picture gave an orgasm to a couple of Engadget bloggers.
That's a modified iPod. The default rechargeable batteries are not certified to perform on the space shuttle, so that iPod has been mod'd to use disposable alkaline double As. That iPod is also not permitted to be used on the International Space Station because iPods have not been certified at all for use on the ISS.
not true. iPods have been on ISS. Photo evidence:
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=22729
Then ABC News is mistaken.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4450259&page=1
Well, it's not like ABC news is infallible...or even accurate.
what are the chances that they have to turn it off during landing and takeoff? Come on airlines, it's just a mp3 player.
typical spoiled mentality...
there's a multitude of reasons for disallowing the usage of electronic devices and especially music players during critical phases of flight.
no one needs to listen to music all the time that badly, just take the damned things off and put it away...
I bet it's playing The Final Countdown instead. If I was going into space I'd loop that endlessly.
...yet such a cheesy video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0ZkllM8znx4
1:17 makes me thankful I wasn't in a rock band in the 80s.
doesnt a hard drive need gravity ?
No
I hope it doesn't catch on FIRE!
Actually I read somewhere (I'll try to find the link)that IPods on the Space Shuttle have to use AA batteries because the Lithium Ion batteries are not certified to fly in space (they might catch on fire).
Wait here's a link (search for AA) http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/STS117webcast.html
If this was any other player would you write about it...no.
The iPod was playing Magic Carpet Ride when they launched.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1djkR-8xOU&feature=related
funny thing is the ipod probably has more computing power then the space shuttle
Love the HP-41C comment. True.
Note though that NASA has graduated to using modern tech rather than designing their own hardened 15-year-old versions of all technology. The amazing thing is this is an iPod and not a $15,000 hardened clone from 1989.
White iPod... white shuttle... I don't know... Next thing you know all you're gonna have for a shuttle interface is a whole bunch of clickwheels. Gee, wouldn't that be fun to drive :P
And no, hard drives don't need gravity. Its just a spinning disc (or array of discs) against magnetic reading heads. Gravity doesn't play any part in it.
I personally prefer my old Sony Walkman tape player. I'm tellin ya, thing's easily rated for 25,000 Gs. AND it can work on alkaline batteries...
Some of you people and your hate rants are just ridiculous. It's just a music player or maybe being used as teaching device for the astronauts. What's the big fuss all about. Maybe they do have other music players on board. Aren't the astronauts allowed some personal items? Who'da thunk a simple photo of an iPod would generate so many negative comments.
it's AIR, not Air.
Just sayin'
sorry to let you guys down but its fake. www.nasa.gov
i downloaded the picture from there earlier as a wallpaper...and upon seeing this i looked...theres no ipod.
@jobe
umm... what?
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-123/hires/iss016e032312.jpg
second window from the left...
Uhh.. how is it fake if it's in the following images:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-123/html/iss016e032312.html
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-123/html/iss016e032313.html
Click Hi-Res and zoom in. Nasa issues astronauts specially customized iPods that run on AA batteries. Do some googling, and you're bound to find the evidence to back this up. Nasa has a QnA some other poster also linked the refers to those custom iPods.