As a result, you could get conflicting numbers when running the same code on different environments.ĭr. On top of that, every mission had its own standard. Holzmann noticed that developers didn't follow most of the rules set in Coding Standards. Shortly after heading JPL’s Laboratory for Reliable Software (LARS), Dr. The Curiosity also has over 1 million lines of Java and C++ code that are responsible for driving the rover and controlling its robotic arm.īut the most curious thing about the Curiosity code is HOW it was written. Most of the software on Curiosity and Perseverance, NASA rovers operating on the planet's surface, is built in it. Our developers can spend hours arguing about which programming language is the most popular on Earth, but when it comes to Mars, the answer is clear – it's C. Power of 10 to power the one: Coding for Mars The total weight of the whole program is slightly bigger than 2MB the screenshots we’ve made for this article are almost the same weight! But isn't it fascinating that such a tiny piece of code could take us so far? But, come on, it's unbelievable someone had pronounced it that way!) or when discussing how not to do poodoo (which was actually a condition called “P00DOO abort” with two zeros after "P". You can clearly imagine their thoughts when typing this: Here's an excerpt from it:Ī deeper look can not only give you an idea of what was going on in the program but also what their work was like. And yes, they named one of the files BURN_BABY_BURN–MASTER_IGNITION_ROUTINE. It's worth mentioning that the language in which the code was written is hardly recognizable to modern engineers, but it is rather readable because Margaret Hamilton and her team at MIT added many comments to explain each other (and us) what each line is for. Those who are especially excited about coding for space can even compile them using the emulation of Apollo's onboard guidance computer. Thanks to the Virtual AGC and MIT Museum initiative, everyone can now explore the original lines that flew us to the moon. But the most thrilling thing here is that we have free access to the source code for the Apollo 11 Guidance Computer (AGC) and the command and lunar modules on GitHub. NASA’s Apollo 11 mission was launched in 1969 - literally pre-historic time for developers working with UNIX-like systems (well, almost all developers). BURN_BABY_BURN: Code that took us to the Moon Now, we're sharing our findings with you. We've explored the code powering the first manned lunar mission, the development rules for building Martian rovers, and just how far-reaching assembly languages can be. Each successful landing, colorful photo of a distant galaxy, and radio signal sent from light hours away is a result of many years' of work on the part of scientists and engineers who were, and remain, pioneers in their field.Īs a software development company, we simply could not prevent ourselves from studying the work of our colleagues. Inspired by the moment, we've plunged ourselves into studying the greatest milestones of space exploration and the brilliant minds standing behind them. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to become the first person to orbit the Earth and launch the beginning of human in space history. Today is the 60th anniversary of the first human spaceflight.
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