My $500M Mars rover mistake (chrislewicki.com)

Article summary

A NASA engineer recounts a mistake made during the testing of the Spirit Mars Rover in 2003, where a wrong connection sent a surge of electricity into the spacecraft, potentially damaging it. The error was later found to be due to the disconnection of a multimeter that was completing the circuit for the spacecraft's ground test telemetry. The issue was resolved by reconnecting the multimeter and powering up the spacecraft. The engineer reflects on the experience as a valuable lesson in resilience and the importance of learning from failures.

Main themes

• work-life balance
• error prevention
• resilience
• healthcare staffing
• engineering culture
• failure analysis
• shift work
• labor practices

What commenters say

• Working long hours can lead to mistakes and decreased productivity, and is not a sustainable solution for critical projects.
• The use of cheap labor, such as grad students, is not a viable solution to staffing problems in critical industries.
• Patient handovers in healthcare can be dangerous, but longer shifts may not necessarily be the solution.
• The culture of overwork and lack of sleep in certain professions, such as healthcare and engineering, can have serious consequences.
• The importance of proper procedures and double-checking connections cannot be overstated, especially in high-stakes environments.
• The value of learning from failures and near-misses is essential for personal and professional growth.
• The trade-off between shift length and handover frequency is a complex issue that requires careful consideration.
• In some cases, longer shifts may be preferable to reduce the number of handovers and minimize errors.