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From: hhs@hou2h.UUCP (H.SHARP)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Old fashion computing practices @ NASA
Message-ID: <1006@hou2h.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 18:03:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2h.1006
Posted: Mon Aug 12 18:03:26 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 06:29:24 EDT
References: <1079@cbdkc1.UUCP>, <1073@ames.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 39

Some followup information:'

A Software Engineering Institute was formed several years ago
at Goddard Space Flight Center.  The lead person in that effort is
Frank McGarry. They have had several Conferences over the last few
years and have produced booklets documenting the results of the
conferences (i.e. papers presented).  They have also produced 
results of tests done on different projects to compare metrics 
used.  They have published handbooks for software managers 
suggesting methods for managing software projects.  

A film was produced and shown at several centers describing the
"crisis" in software engineering.  All these efforts lead me to
believe that Headquarters has perhaps realized that something
needs to be done NASA-wide to help the situation.

At Goddard, there is now an ADA working group which has Ada 
running on several VAX's among other computers, and they are 
studying the use of ADA.  Another directorate at GSFC (CD. 500)
has purchased several Symbolics processors and is proceeding to
explore AI applications in its area.             
I am not aware of any systems running UNIX yet.
As shown by the above, there are efforts underway to upgrade and
to modernize the computing at NASA.  The question is if and when
results will be seen.  The "turf wars" mentioned in a previous
article are ever present.  With Space Station coming up, I don't
believe NASA can afford to drag its feet.

But, to end with a particular, one division at GSFC which works
in communications had been writing its switching software in
MASM, a structured assembly language with a PDL and preprocessor
designed by Sperry.  When a new Prime contractor took over, it
insisted that they "modernize" and program the next project in
a high-level language.  And what language did they pick?
Fortran, of course.

P.S.  REMEMBER!
	When you dump on civil servants, you dump on NASA!