USAF feels Oleg's pain

[dduff442]

Originally Posted by Azimech

I can give you an outstanding exception: the Voyager program.

I wasn't familiar with this at all, but a trip to Wikipedia turned up the following:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Voyager 2's gyroscopes and its computer were operational during its Titan/Centaur launch phase, monitoring the sequence of events, in order for those systems to take over the space probe's attitude control and other functions upon separation from the Centaur upper stage. But at that point, the unexpected happened: Voyager 2's computer experienced robotic "vertigo". In its confusion, it helplessly switched to backup sensors, presuming its "senses" to be defective.

Voyager 2's disoriented flight-control computer remained disconnected from Voyager's powerful thrusters at this point, so it did not cause damage to the launch during the launching itself. The Centaur's attitude-control system stayed in charge, suffering no "vertigo" and, as planned, it electronically corrected the disequilibrium of the Voyager's computer just before separation.

From the spacecraft's control center, engineers and technicians helplessly watched the antics of Voyager 2's disoriented computer. One hour and 11 minutes after lift-off, Voyager 2's own dedicated solid rocket fired for 45 seconds, to supply the final increment of momentum that it needed to get to Jupiter.

I don't mean to knock the potential of software or the talent of its practitioners. What gets me is that the structure of the different markets makes production of quality software uneconomical in many cases.

Put any two software engineers side by side and probably one is a gold mine while the other cancels out his own limited production capacity by pumping garbage into the system. The problem is if you look at their CVs (Resumes), you'll likely never be able to guess which is which.

dduff