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I would guess no prioritization of usability ("it's just an internal tool, we can train people, it's cheaper anyway"). This seems like a common pattern on softw

I would guess no prioritization of usability ("it's just an internal tool, we can train people, it's cheaper anyway"). This seems like a common pattern on software projects, especially company-internal ones.

Someone 7y ago
For an example see https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/13/margaret-hamilton-computer-scientist-interview-software-apollo-missions-1969-moon-landing-nasa-women https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/13/margaret-...: ”I suggested a program change to prevent a prelaunch program being selected during flight. But the higher-ups at MIT and Nasa said the astronauts were too well trained to make such a mistake. Midcourse on the very next mission – Apollo 8 – one of the astronauts on board accidentally did exactly what Lauren had done. The Lauren bug! It created much havoc and required the mission to be reconfigured. After that, they let me put the program change in, all right.”
- Sharlin 7y ago
  This was a great read, thanks!
- papln 7y ago
  Is selecting a prelaunch program much worse than selecting an incorrect post-launch program? Or was there still a major risk of selecting an unsafe post-lauch program?
  - scrumper 7y ago
    The problem was that, with such limited memory available to the computer, it erased all the en-route navigational data to make room for the preflight data. So now you have a spacecraft on its way to the moon with no way to know where it is...