XPost: misc.news.internet.discuss   
   From: here@is.invalid   
      
   A 1990s iMac Processor Powers NASA's Perseverance Rover   
   ...   
   ...   
   However, there's a major difference between the iMac's CPU and the one   
   inside the Perseverance rover. BAE Systems manufactures the   
   radiation-hardened version of the PowerPC 750, dubbed RAD750, which   
   can withstand 200,000 to 1,000,000 Rads and temperatures between -55   
   and 125 degrees Celsius (-67 and 257 degrees Fahrenheit). Mars doesn't   
   have the same type of atmosphere as Earth, which protects us from the   
   the sun's rays, so one flash of sunlight and it's all over for the   
   Mars rover before its adventure can begin. Each one costs more than   
   $200,000, so some extra protection is necessary.   
   ...   
   ...   
   Taking that into consideration, it's reasonable that NASA would choose   
   older technology over the new stuff. After all, when you're spending   
   $2.7 billion to land a robot on Mars, it's important that your tech is   
   reliable enough to stand the test of time--down to the tiniest   
   soldered circuits. Currently, the RAD750 powers around 100 satellites   
   orbiting Earth, which includes GPS, imaging, and weather data as well   
   as various military satellites. Not one of those has failed, according   
   to LaRosa.   
      
      
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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