henry (06/13/82)
Remember that the computers that would have gone aboard the DynaSoar would have been designed in the early sixties. While there is no doubt that the Russians are behind in computer technology, twenty years gives a lot of leeway. Furthermore, consider this. Assume a fleet of a dozen shuttles (none of this mucking about with four or five!). Assume five computers per orbiter. Assume 100% spares allowance for the lifetime of the birds, plus another 50% for simulators, testing, and software development. That's a total of 150 computers. I would give long odds that the Russians could get (say) 150 68000's simply by buying them in the West, using a few dummy companies to cover the ultimate destination. Ditto for the support chips. Things like export controls are designed to stop bulk buying for weapon systems and the like; there is no way to stop small-quantity smuggling of parts that are commercially available across the counter.
murray@sri-unix (06/18/82)
In regards to russian computers and ease of aquisition from the U.S., that really is not the true issue. The design of the five major computers in the shuttle predate the 68000, the 8086, and probably the 8085. Processing power is not really that big a dal in this situation, An 8080 or two would propaply be more than enough power for the syncronization demands of the shuttle. The problem is reliability! Both the hardware and the software must be reliable to the nth degree when you are staking mens lives and more importantly (I'm sorry to say) national prestige on whether or not your shuttle comes down intact. Based on the propaganda I've heard, the Russians simply do not have the programming expertise to write that kind of program. No matter who manufactures the hardware, that hurdle has to be covered first. Shucks, I have my doubts that the people in this country have that kind of skill.... look what happened on the attempted first launch of the Columbia. Also, those five main computers are not the only computers in those shuttles. I am led to believe that there are many (100s?) of micro processors onboard. (I admit the numbers I have heard are based only on conjecture and heresay). Stealing a couple thousand 8080's (or 68000's) for all the ancillary functions would probably not be easy, even for the Soviet Union (although I think it would be entirely 'do-able'). One last point and I will stop flaming, if you were a high Russian mucky-muck, and the only place you could get high technology computer parts for your space flagship was those capitalistic self- centered, western dogs who (whom?) you have been taught since child- hood to despise and distrust, would steal the parts? In summation, I do not believe the russians have a shuttle comparable to ours, but not for the reasons outlined in the article for which I am posting this followup. murray at intelqa