Software Challenges in Achieving Space Safety

Abstract

Techniques developed for hardware reliability and safety do not work on software-intensive systems; software does not satisfy the assumptions underlying these techniques. The new problems and why the current approaches are not effective for complex, software-intensive systems are first described. Then a new approach to hazard analysis and safety-driven design is presented. Rather than being based on reliability theory, as most current safety engineering techniques are, the new approach builds on system and control theory.