So no max depth set into the software controlling the excavating arm?
"Bugs are boundary conditions we refused to take seriously."
Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
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Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#42So no max depth set into the software controlling the excavating arm? "Bugs are boundary conditions we refused to take seriously."
Watch the Manley video linked elsewhere in the comment thread. The capture was entirely analog.
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then again NASA has a $22B budget.
Many large corporations have budgets in excess of that and still struggle with delivering solutions and software updates. Internally or externally.
Sure, but I was trying to cheer `moron4hire` up, who I assume has a lot fewer zeroes in their budget.
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
"So they actually performed a software upgrade of on the spacecraft to give it optical navigation capabilities..." God dammit. And here I have trouble getting software updates into a server I have full control over on Earth.
Sadly, most of us don't have the luxury of working in environment where (a) it's mandated that we set up a 1-for-1 test rig with the production infrastructure and (b) management will accept the answer "I need to test for all possible contingencies because failure is not an option." (Most of us are writing code in an environment where failure is totally an option, as long as it's fast and restoration is quick ;) ).
While the requirement is there, often it falls through the cracks. A recent example is the wrong mapping of the Starliner thrusters. This wasn’t found until the simulator changed due to brownouts after it was already in orbit. Just by luck, the new simulator was of sufficient fidelity to catch the mapping error.
Had 1) they not missed the correct orbit due to a different issue and 2) not had to switch simulators it could have potentially collided with the space station.
So yes, the requirements are there but often not followed but luck was on our side
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#45I'm sure NASA has thought of this, but won't the mylar film close if the sampling disk loses some material, before it loses all of its material? Why not give it a shake to get some of it out so the seal can close?
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#46At the original 60oz/$800 million dollars, would that make it the most expensive bit of mineral on Earth in 2023?
Probably still cheaper than 1st-party printer ink.
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#47So no max depth set into the software controlling the excavating arm? "Bugs are boundary conditions we refused to take seriously."
It was expected to hit the surface, NOT plow into it like a pile of gravel, use the blower to grab particles in the bucket, then blast backwards. Instead, it DID plow into the asteroid like a pile of gravel, even at a slow 40cm/sec. It was thought it would be much more solid than it turned out to be. It had no way of controlling how far it went in.
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#48At the original 60oz/$800 million dollars, would that make it the most expensive bit of mineral on Earth in 2023?
only about 10x more expensive than tritium.
Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#49Re: Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
"So they actually performed a software upgrade of on the spacecraft to give it optical navigation capabilities..." God dammit. And here I have trouble getting software updates into a server I have full control over on Earth.
And now optical navigation has been flight proven so it can be used on other missions.
Optical nav was flight proven a long time ago. For deep space (autonav, deep space 1), and for mars landers.