Software in Space: Lessons Every Developer Can Learn From

Explore the critical role of software in space missions through a 41-minute talk that examines four high-profile failures and mission rescues. Delve into the Ariane 5, Cassini Huygens, Mars Polar Lander, and Spirit Rover missions, uncovering how issues like inadequate testing, unnecessary software activation, metric-imperial conversion errors, and memory race conditions led to catastrophic results or near-misses. Learn how brute force, ingenuity, and innovation saved two of these missions. Apply these space-based lessons to everyday programming, testing, and software architecture, especially when adopting agile methodologies without fully understanding the associated risks.