Software in Space - Lessons from Space Missions for Developers and Managers

Learn valuable lessons from space mission software development in this 27-minute talk by Joseph Winchester from IBM. Explore the Ariane 5 rocket failure, understanding its background, causes, and consequences. Delve into the intricacies of Saturn's Cassini mission, including the Huygens probe, and uncover fundamental problems in space exploration. Examine the Mars Climate Orbiter and Polar Lander missions, gaining insights into critical errors and their impact. Discover how these space mission experiences can be applied to everyday software development and management practices, improving your approach to complex projects and problem-solving.

Introduction
Background to Ariane 5
Background to Ariane 4
What happened
What went wrong
Why it happened
Understand arithmetic
Saturn
Cassini
Rings
Huygens
The fundamental problem
Frequency and wavelength
Digital sound
Separation velocity
Lessons Learned
Mars
Mars Climate Orbiter
Mars Orbiter
Polar Lander
Outro