Question

The engineers for the Ariane 5 followed the principle of "redundant systems." For every system, there was an identical backup so that if the main system shut down, the identical backup system was there to take over. For example, whenever one screw was needed, the engineers used two so that if one broke, the other screw was there to hold the connection in place. The engineers did this for every critical system on the rocket including the software. Why do you think having a backup software program failed to prevent the crash of the Ariane 5?

Answer 1

The crash of the Ariane 5 was not due to a failure of the backup software program itself, but rather an issue with the interaction between the primary and backup systems.

Step-by-step explanation:

To guarantee the dependability and security of the rocket, the Ariane 5's engineers adhered to the "redundant systems" concept. Nevertheless, a problem with the communication between the primary and backup systems caused the Ariane 5 crash rather than the backup software failing on its own. Utilizing antiquated software from the Ariane 4 rocket, which experienced a malfunction while in flight, the Ariane 5 launched. The guidance system shut down as a result of this error, destroying the rocket.