[svlug] Software on Space Shuttle

[Hans Cathcart]

I once read that the actual control computers of the Space Shuttle were 5
custom made computer systems. 4 of them are identical, and 1 - the backup
is a completely different hardware system, with completely different
software. Basically, they have all these backups so that if one fails the
others take over, automatically, and if for some reason there is a software
or hardware bug in the 4 identical ones, they can switch over to the backup
system which was designed by a different team that was not allowed to talk
to the team developing the other system. I wonder if they used a Unix like
operating system for this actual control part.

>on what kind of testing a piece of hardware/software goes through before it
>is placed into space,

Ok, fine, but no matter how much testing NASA puts it through, if you just
look at the lack of testing Microsoft puts stuff through, I think he'd
change his mind. ;)



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