Is there Internet access on the ISS?

[Quintas]

@engineer_comp_geek

NASA uses modified laptops on the ISS more for reasons of cooling than things like radiation. The lack of convection in a microgravity environment means that air doesn’t circulate well through a laptop and you can get overheating problems, even considering the laptop’s normal fans.

Can you expand on this? In what way are they modified?

[aaelghat]

@Quintas

Can you expand on this? In what way are they modified?

This linkand this linkexplains the modifications, which is mainly for cooling, and to run on a 28 volts DC power supply.

I also found it interesting that Nasa is migrating away from Windows for the ISS laptops to Linux.

And that it is problematic that they use Lenovo laptops manufactured by the Chinese.

[PSXer]

Yeah NASA has put a lot of money and effort into making laptops practical on the ISS

The Russians used a pencil

[aaelghat]

@PSXer

Yeah NASA has put a lot of money and effort into making laptops practical on the ISS

The Russians used a pencil

I know that was a joke, but just in case… the USA used pencils as well.