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Mars Failures: Bad luck or Bad Programs?

Posted by Hemos on from the what-makes-the-machine dept.

HobbySpacer writes "One European mission is on its way to Mars and two US landers will soon launch. They face tough odds for success. Of 34 Mars missions since the start of the space age, 20 have failed. This article looks at why Mars is so hard. It reports, for example, that a former manager on the Mars Pathfinder project believes that "Software is the number one problem". He says that since the mid-70s "software hasnâ(TM)t gone anywhere. There isnâ(TM)t a project that gets their software done."" Or maybe it has to do with being an incredible distance, on an inhumane climate. Either or.

2 of 389 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I think it's the metric system by tomstdenis · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Wrong. Metric is used by the modern world. Imperial is used by Dictator Georgies country.

    Get with the F'ing program!

    Tom

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  2. Re:I'm not surprised. by Mr.+McGibby · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    For example some of code drops from our clients don't even compile!

    I used to write software that got "dropped" down to a client and heard this all the time from them. Guess what, that code *did* compile. We'd given them instructions on how to do it (since compiling in Windows isn't always as easy as "make"), and the incompetant VB clones couldn't get past the fact that we didn't use the inane VC++ IDE tools to compile stuff.

    "Why can't you just send a project file so I can compile this?", says client.

    "Because this project is huge. It has ten modules, three of which are further submodularized. The build system built into VC++ just can't handle the things we need to do.", says I.

    "Huh?"

    Why don't they just get that maybe they should get someone who knows what they're doing?

    --
    Mad Software: Rantings on Developing So