[rescue] Re: [geeks] Crap! Not again...

[Lionel Peterson]

--- ed at the7thbeer.com wrote:
> Got me to wondering if maybe the computer(s) screwed up and the bird
> came in too hot.  Not that computers ever make mistakes, but poorly
> coded software will.  And what an amazing way to sabotage something
> as complex as the shuttle.  Change a decimal place in some code,
> wait till it gets loaded and let it do the rest.

Two words - triple redundant

The shuttles mission critical systems are triple redundant (IIRC) -
they have two computers that perform the calculation, then a third
compares (or is it three, and a fourth compares, majority wins?)...

Also, they are programmed by different teams, because a software bug
would invalidate the redundancy in many cases.

Also, the "Hacker Terrorist" (were it intentional) woul dhave to pass a
security clearance check - a non-trivial effort, I assume.

=====
Lionel

"Nothing would please me more than being able to hire ten
programmers and deluge the hobby market with good software"
Bill Gates, in "An OpenLetter to Hobbyists" dated February 3, 1976
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