The Mars Climate Orbiter Crashed on the Surface of Mars

question 8

Multiple Choice

The Mars Climate Orbiter crashed on the surface of Mars because

• A) one program output thrust in terms of foot-pounds, and another program expected thrust to be expressed in terms of newtons.
• B) the probe lost contact with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when it entered the Martian atmosphere.
• C) a bug in the computer program caused the vehicle to consume too much fuel on the way to Mars, leaving an inadequate supply for landing.
• D) the extreme cold of deep space caused the computer to crash.
• E) before programmers went on strike at subcontractor Lockheed Martin, one of them sabotaged the flight control software.

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Definitions:

Controlled Group

A group of two or more entities that are connected through common ownership, allowing for centralized control and management.

Controlled Entities

These are entities over which another entity (the parent) has control, typically through ownership of more than half of the voting rights or through other mechanisms.

Associates

An entity over which an investor possesses significant influence, typically characterized by owning between 20% and 50% of the voting stock.

Joint Ventures

A partnership where multiple parties combine their assets to achieve a particular goal.