There's quite a few OpenSource tools that are being used by Space agencies. Many on the other hand are closed source. Linux as an Operating System is widely used, mainly because its better in all aspects. There is a differentiation between normal desktop users and qualified professionals though. <br>
Back end mainly Linux and open Source Software. User end normally fewer. <br><br><i>In house produced software </i>that have the possibility of being produced on an OpenSource basis fail on underlying principle that the software is designed for a specific purpose by few individuals and hence security through obscurity is used. Larger programs are mainly produced on a long standing purpose, tens of years, and again are used for a specific purpose which would find few compatible scenarios. Hence due to the limited application area most never reach the open market. (And sometimes this is also not wanted the time and money spent developing these programs could easily allow other countries to easily set up their own space program)<br>
<br>'Outside' solutions which can be migrated to an 'in house' scenario where they would offer more advantages often are. In this view more are moving away from closed source software/OS to open source software/OS. <br>
<br>The main Fault-line is that graphically intensive software is mostly solely for a PR perspective (Talking on a operational Level not for payload data). For the actual workload the most useful information is displayed in raw data or in graphs displaying such. No heavy 3d work needs to be done by either Software or Operating System and hence new Operating System have little advantage (especially windows based). Also the difficulty of moving away from older Windows based system is hard not merely because many programs used are purposely fit. <br>
<br>We have big problems even migrating to newer versions of Open Source OS because the programs being deployed are not compatible and old OS are not compatible with new hardware.To migrate remaining windows systems to any kind of Open Source OS is not an easy and cheap task (the latter being more important these days), Don't even mention the programs which handle some aspects, development time is so large, even for large Big name companies, that once the software has been fully developed and operational it is obsolete again.<br>
<br>Overall I would say though that, at least from my perspective, this industry is moving more and more in the Open Source direction and with the new vega rockets being launched out of french Guiana (hughe benefit for europen companies <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16986043">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16986043</a> ) and the Soyuz being launched from the same location (bigger payload cause its closer to the equator <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15335656">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15335656</a> ) this sector looks on the up. Even the bbc think so lol <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16739361">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16739361</a><br>
<br>Enjoy<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 21 February 2012 23:06, gordon dunlop <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:zubenel@fedoraproject.org">zubenel@fedoraproject.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<font size="4">This is a request from NASA for companies and organisations to help them open source the NASA.gov website and its intranet.<br><br><a href="http://open.nasa.gov/blog/2012/02/18/help-us-open-source-nasa-gov/" target="_blank">http://open.nasa.gov/blog/2012/02/18/help-us-open-source-nasa-gov/</a><br>
<br>It has a code tab on the website where people can view and download the code for its Linux and open source projects, there are quite a few. This is an article about these projects from Linux.com<br><br><a href="https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/535755-organizing-open-source-efforts-at-nasa" target="_blank">https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/535755-organizing-open-source-efforts-at-nasa</a><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>Gordon</font></span></font><br>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
dundee GNU/Linux Users Group mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:dundee@mailman.lug.org.uk">dundee@mailman.lug.org.uk</a> <a href="http://dundeelug.org.uk" target="_blank">http://dundeelug.org.uk</a><br>
<a href="https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/dundee" target="_blank">https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/dundee</a><br>
Chat on IRC, #tlug on <a href="http://irc.lug.org.uk" target="_blank">irc.lug.org.uk</a><br></blockquote></div><br>