Gizmodo
A TUAW reader has managed to spot an iPod onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is currently floating around in a giant vacuum. The hawk-eyed reader spotted the iPod from official NASA photos, which showed the device, barely visible, through a cabin window. Interestingly, iPods cannot be taken into space willy-nilly. In fact, the usual lithium battery must be replaced with specially designed alkaline alternatives to ensure safety standards are met. That seems like a lot of planning to us, which is part of the reason we won't be leaving planet Earth anytime soon. Another equally valid reason is because we are not qualified astronauts. If you are having difficulty recovering from the shock of this new information, please sit down and drink some water. Jump for a zoomed out shot of the space shuttle, which indicates the founder was either very bored or has awesome Superman-like eyesight. You decide.
Hit the link to learn of other galactic fantastic Apple iPods. [TUAW]
Comments
I thought NASA was sponsored by Zune?
I just think it's silly, looking at this amazing photograph of this incredible spaceship that took years to design and build, contains more than 1,000,000 parts and carries enormous payloads of some of the most incredibly complicated pieces of equipment ever manufactured up tens of miles above the earth - and STILL the thing that draws attention above all else in the photograph, is the iPod on the dashboard...
I heard it was registerd to a ...">Major Tom.
If a toilet on the Space Shuttle costs millions of dollars then what does an iPod cost?
Kinda nuts to remember that the first moon landing was orchestrated by less computing power than in that ipod.
I wonder how long it will last.
HDNet explained during one of their ISS coverages, that their HD cameras don't last long due to the cosmic rays, and they are heavily shielded for use in outer space, that iPod isn't.
So why aren't fans doing what needs to be done to keep AAPL stock over $200?
@Stang70Fastback
Yeah, will billion of $ put into the space shuttle program, and after years of operation and numerous upgrages, and there is still no built-in MP3 CD player?
@Stang70Fastback: Agreed.
Your response made me think of the following scene from Family Guy when Peter is videotaping a plastic bag blowing in the wind:
Peter: "Look, its dancing with me! Its like there is this incredible benevolent force that wants me to know that theres no reason to be afraid. Sometimes theres so much beauty in the world it makes my heart burst."
God: "It's just some trash blowing in the wind. Do you have any idea how complicated your circulatory system is?!"
@pipper: Heck, NASA have to trawl the yard sales for electronics with which to replace any that fails.
^^^ Because they cannot integrate modern electronics into the Shuttle's aging design, that is.
I'm guessing it's for personal use, and not for playing over the ships loudspeakers. It's the same reason the bus driver on a city bus doesn't play the radio, everyone just wears their headphones. I'm guessing that rather than replace the batteries, they remove it, and use a dock connector to tie it into an external pack. Makes more sense than to try to shove a different battery in the case.
I'm really guessing this is for when the spaceanouts goto sleep.
Historically, NASA has been very careful about product promotion.
It wouldn't surprise me if iPods were considered not for public view.
Other goodies that NASA didnt want to promote.
M&Ms
Tang
Oreos
Plenty so see here... don't move on.
Search more!
dv
(Ex Space Camp Counselor)
@D-Bo:
...which was itself a parody of the scene from American Beauty, a film which has surprisingly little to do with space or astronauts. What were we talking about?
...ahhhh, American Beauty, the life I want, right up until the end. I don't care for blood that much, especially mine!
It appears to be a 4g
@pipper: My thoughts exactly. For crying out loud, we're building CARS with 30G integrated MP3 players. [paradox] Get with the program, NASA! [/paradox]
Reminds me of the early days of the shuttle program: The astronauts used to bring Grid laptops along, so they knew where they actually where....
BS BS BS
If you had the chance to go into space you'd leave your stupid music player behind if they said to.
Get real.
It's possible it was sneaked on board by an astronaut or had the battery simply removed to run on the Shuttle's DC power system. It'd be a shame if it wasn't supposed to be there and the astronaut got in trouble because the 'net was like "LOL iPod!"
I remember trying to research what type of PCs they use up there, and the answer is "..."
Seriously, there is zero information out there for what kind of computers are used in space. There was a modified thinkpad, but it was ten years old and wouldn't be useful anymore.
NASA is indeed very careful about product promotion. I guess they feel that no company should have that kind of free publicity. If NASA is so cash-strapped, maybe they should slap some stickers on the side of that ship and raise us some funds. They may, however, cause a major burn-up on re-entry.
If the Russians aren't afraid of whoring out their space program, we should do the same.
From the angle of the sun light as judge by the shadow of the communication dish the supposed iPod is way to bright...
@markarian: LOL
I can't believe all of you are missing the real story here.
Look, that iPod is sitting in the cup holder!
Who knew there were cup holders on the space shuttle?
Damn NASA, what will you think of next?
With the 1,459,234 iPod docks out there, there has to be at least ONE that could be used as a model to use for docking 2 objects that aren't meant to be attached...
Personally I've never had any problems with any of my devices lithium batteries in space. In fact I don't know whether it's just the being in space part, but they seem to work better.
Boy, when it comes to computers in space and the space program in general, you people don't have any idea what you are talking about.
--- nothing like that is "sneaked" on board.
--- the crew on both the shuttle and the ISS use literally DOZENS of laptop computers, Thinkpads, and there is AMPLE information available on what they are. Your search kung fu is obviously lacking.
@Alex99a: Agreed. In the old days, yes, astronauts snuck stuff on board, but not today.
I also recall seeing old 3-2-1 Contacts, Reading Rainbows, etcc... and other such PBS shows where they talked with the Astromen, and they said they listened to walkmans while they slept or had downtime. I'm sure stuff is going on 24 hours a day to maxamize the mission time, which requires shifts, and you don't want to be sleeping and woken up when Rockhound blasts an Armadillo with a remote controlled gatling gun.
Geez you fanboys will post anything remotely related to apple... Next you'll be posting pics of the toasted cheese sandwich with an apparition of a apple logo in the charred fat.
Music and space? I shall have to try that.
@videoCWK: No, zero G.
that is one sharp eye
It's not hard to see at all, there is a huge high rez pic at Nasa it doesnt take any sharp eye to see it.
[images.google.com]
iPods have been on the shuttle for years. I love these suitcases they bring up though.
[spaceflight.nasa.gov]
here is the image
and another
[spaceflight.nasa.gov]
maybe that is why the space toilet was so expensive it had a built in ipod dock.
@ tetrion:
That would officially make you the LAST person on the planet to realize this.
(That includes unfound tribes.)
Yes, the Giz loves it's Apple.
Sorry you're the last person on the planet on board with this concept, but at least EVERYONE is now, finally.
@Theophilus P. Wildebeeste: Thats actually not true. All of the remaining orbiters received massive retrofits with state-of-the-art everything a few years back.
reminds me of all the crap I nned to clean off my work van dash.
phucking fanboys...
@strider_mt2k: I can't believe the photo is real.The shuttle flies with the heat shield towards the sun.Isn't that the earth I see in the bottom corners of the photo.PHOTOSHOP
@ethanthom: Not always. Normal orbital attitude is with the payload bay doors, which act as radiators, pointed away from the sun.
The shuttle can operate for limited periods in any attitude.
Hey it's my old iPod!
@strider_mt2k: Actually no, you forgot the crew of the shuttle and space station...
The real question here is, so I bring my Ipod to space with me and the cosmic rays ruin it, will Best Buy still cover it under warranty, I mean I stepped on mine before and it was covered. Some one wanna check the fine print on the PSP to see if cosmic ray damage is exempted?
@Dr_Blip: why get sponsors when you have all this tax revenue lying around?
sorry that's a knockoff
The REAL real story here, is that the iPod has more modern technology onboard than the Space Shuttle's 1970s design. What's the most advanced piece of equipment in the picture? The iPod.
Iron Eagles in Space
perks @ cheese sandwiches and whores
I wonder if you disconnected the headphones and let it float free, would it spin counter to the rotation of the hard drive? (being in zero-g and all...) I imagine it sorta like a helicopter with a bum tail rotor.