Memory leaks sometimes don't matter

[nilamo]

https://twitter.com/pomeranian99/status/...4438094848

This sparked and interesting memory for me.  I was once working with a
customer who was producing on-board software for a missile.  In my analysis
of the code, I pointed out that they had a number of problems with storage
leaks.  Imagine my surprise when the customers chief software engineer said
"Of course it leaks".  He went on to point out that they had calculated the
amount of memory the application would leak in the total possible flight time
for the missile and then doubled that number.  They added this much
additional memory to the hardware to "support" the leaks.  Since the missile
will explode when it hits it's target or at the end of it's flight, the
ultimate in garbage collection is performed without programmer intervention.

If the leak will take longer to eat all the memory than the hardware will exist... is it really a problem?

   

[micseydel]

Memory leaks are a solved problem, so it seems silly to throw hardware at it. I would consider them code smell in a case like this; I wouldn't be confident that the missile will wait to explode until it arrives.

I get that from a project perspective, it might be cheaper to throw hardware at it than engineers, but that sounds like a horrendous risk to be taking.

[sparkz_alot]

Maybe that's why only half the Tomahawks actually made it to their destination? 

[metulburr]

i agree with Andreia Gaita. Some yahoo sticks the same software in a missile twice the range and the next thing you know, the missile plows into a school. Something unexpected always happens. Remember the patriot missile incident ?

[volcano63]

Maybe that's why only half the Tomahawks actually made it to their destination? 

Wow, someone actually believed "only half the Tomahawks" spin ?!

[Larz60+]

Maybe that's why only half the Tomahawks actually made it to their destination

I believe that only one didn't make it

[volcano63]

I believe that only one didn't make it

You'be obviously sold your soul to imperialist propaganda   . The oculist won't lie  

[sparkz_alot]

Wow, someone actually believed "only half the Tomahawks" spin  ?!

Yup, I also believe global warming is a reality, despite what the government says. Then again, there is very little that comes out of Washington that I take at face value.  That's the beauty of the internet (which I don't believe was invented by Al Gore),  we now have the ability to check multiple news sources.

@nilamo, after reading the quote, it made me wish I had $10 to buy the original article by Dr. Herbert Lin The development of software for ballistic-missile defense (Scientific American, December 1985) to see what else he had to say 

EDIT: Added December to published date.

[Ofnuts]

Maybe that's why only half the Tomahawks actually made it to their destination? 

I was told that during the operation Allied Force against Yugoslavia (March-June 1999), they used large numbers of Tomahawks (218 total...) because because the missiles were reaching their use-by date anyway, since their inboard guidance software wouldn't support the GPS calendar rollover that would happen later on August 21, 1999 and refurbishing them would be too expensive (it made more sense to buy the new generation ones).

"We aren't bombing you, we are just dumping our old missiles"

[wavic]

Actually there was an accident with those rockets during Yougoslavia conflict. One of the rockets have crossed the country borders and hit a roof of a house in Bulgaria.