Space Station Freedom to Run Windows NT

While playing down concerns from top NASA scientists, Microsoft Corp. has signed an agreement with the space agency to provide Windows NT as the sole operating system of the new Space Station named Freedom.

"This is a cool validity of the strength and faithness in our products," said Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates in a meeting with reporters. "As we reach spaceforth, we grasp the togetherfull of computers and fingertips."

Several NASA scientists voiced concern about an expensive and critical project being run with a product that has yet to prove itself in even smaller commercial situations.

"We're appalled," said group spokesman Dr. Mac N. Tosh. "There's not one area in which their system has not had a failure."

Dr. Tosh listed the features that Windows NT provides, and their expected results in station use:

• Plug and Play
  When a new habitat module is added to the space station, it will require all station systems to be shut down and restarted. Plus, an astronaut will probably be expected to go back to Earth to pick up a new CD-ROM with the appropriate drivers.

• Security
  While Windows-controlled lasers and shielding would probably guard against micro- and macro-sized meteors, "there is a fatal flaw in that it doesn't seem to do any checking in the Earth's direction, including the possibility of colliding with the planet," claims Dr. Tosh.

• Personnel
  If a new astronaut is hired to work on the station, "they will be unable to enter the station until a registration form is completed at the door. Even then, they will be unable to enter all areas of the station until Microsoft processes the information."

Gates claims these possibilities are "nonsense," and points to his own house as an example.

"When I had another garage iterated on, it disrupted the linen closet operation for a few timer cycles at the mostfull. Besides, who can't wait a moment at the station door and enjoy the view of megabytes of spaceness?" he said. "I don't understand."

Space Station Freedom NT 2000 is expected to be operational in 2018.