When I signed on to a Mars mission in 1999, the scientists told me that’s JPL’s approach: instead of extremely expensive, robust, redundant craft, they would begin to make leaner stuff and worry less when it failed...
Around the same time, Mission Control was replacing their bespoke hardware with COTS and trying to minimize the “glue” HW/SW for space systems.
You'll also see that expertise on a particular instrument package is leveraged over and over across multiple missions.
NASA still has amazing educational outreach and makes incredible software, even for mere mortals.
Around the same time, Mission Control was replacing their bespoke hardware with COTS and trying to minimize the “glue” HW/SW for space systems.
You'll also see that expertise on a particular instrument package is leveraged over and over across multiple missions.
NASA still has amazing educational outreach and makes incredible software, even for mere mortals.