From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f43e6,5ac12f5a60b1bfe X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public X-Google-Thread: 101deb,f96f757d5586710a X-Google-Attributes: gid101deb,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,5ac12f5a60b1bfe X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Steve O'Neill Subject: Re: Ariane 5 - not an exception? Date: 1996/08/08 Message-ID: <320A288E.725B@sanders.lockheed.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 172920959 references: <31FE35BC.1A0D@sanders.lockheed.com> <4totv7$o9f@goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au> <32065615.77C7@sanders.lockheed.com> <4u69g9$157k@news.ccit.arizona.edu> content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: Sanders, A Lockheed-Martin Company mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: comp.software-eng,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.pl1 x-mailer: Mozilla 2.01 (Win16; I) Date: 1996-08-08T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Frank Manning wrote: > In other words, there are few engineers with more than one new vehicle > design under their belts, much less with vehicles having such > unprecedented automation requirements. This a new perspective on the problem, and a serious situation indeed. > So how do you prevent another Ariane 5 problem? You really need people > who understand both aerospace engineering (another somewhat nebulous > term) and software engineering. Merely using ++robin's PL/I magic > bullet won't do it. > > Like Steve says, you can't fault developers who implement the > requirements they're given, especially if the developers have no > specialized training in aerospace engineering. The converse is also > true -- what do you do about aero engineers (or mechanical/electrical/ > etc.) who have little training in -- forgive me -- software > engineering? How do you bridge the gulf? Easy, hire me, I've got a BS in Aero and about 15 years experience in the analysis and development of related real-time systems. Sorry, I couldn't resist. ;) But the fact remains that cross-training is critical for (especially) the system engineers and system designers of such complex systems. Had someone with a 'big-picture' view of the Ariane system really spent the time to understand the implications of shutting down a critical sensor perhaps this tragic event would have been avoided. -- Steve O'Neill | "No,no,no, don't tug on that! Sanders, A Lockheed Martin Company | You never know what it might smoneill@sanders.lockheed.com | be attached to." (603) 885-8774 fax: (603) 885-4071| Buckaroo Banzai