Japan Controls Rocket Launch With Just 8 People and 2 Laptops 94
SpaceGhost writes "Sky News reports that the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) has launched an orbital telescope on a new generation rocket from the Uchinoura Space Centre in Kagoshima, in southwestern Japan. The Epsilon rocket uses an onboard AI for autonomous launch checks by the rocket itself (launch video). A product of renewed focus on reducing costs, the new vehicle required two laptops and a launch team of eight, compared to the 150 people needed to launch the previous platform, the M-5. Because of the reduced launch team and ease of construction, production and launch costs of the Epsilon are roughly half that of the M-5. The payload, a SPRINT-A telescope, is designed for planetary observation."
They are using only 5 people and a PS4... (Score:5, Funny)
...to control Fukushima.
Japanese efficiency wins again.
Almost 94.7%! (Score:5, Funny)
Meanwhile in America... 45%? [slashdot.org] Please... Don't make me laugh!
From 150 people to 8! That's almost 94.7% gone. See that, America? That's how you do it...
So.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:They are using only 5 people and a PS4... (Score:5, Funny)
Japan have a company called Cyberdyne.
Japanese rocket launches are AI controlled.
I see where this is going.
Re:So.... (Score:5, Funny)
It now takes less people to launch a Japanese rocket than to maintain a Windows server in the data center....
That's because the rocket is less likely to careen off-course and explode.
Re:Only two laptops for eight people? (Score:4, Funny)
No, that sounds like a normal programming project to me:
2 laptops, 2 programmers
1 Supervisor
1 Project Manager
1 Finance Manager
1 Product Manager
1 Personnel Manager
1 Quality Manager