Technology · 2
What specific software error caused NASA's Mariner 1 probe to be destroyed just 293 seconds after its 1962 launch?
Answer
A missing hyphen in the guidance code
A missing hyphen (overbar) in the guidance software's equations caused the rocket to receive faulty steering commands, prompting a range safety officer to destroy it.
💡 Did you know?
A single misplaced hyphen in Mariner 1's guidance code in 1962 caused a $18.5 million Venus probe to explode 293 seconds after launch.
Other options people guess
- A missing semicolon in the guidance code
- A duplicated line in the guidance code
- An incorrect decimal point in the guidance code
Topics
- space-history
- software-bugs
- nasa
- 1960s
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