55. How do the specialists design spaceships to be controlled? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

They start with preliminary designs and perform control analyses using mathematical models on computers. As the designs mature, the analyses usually become more detailed and have higher fidelity. Most spacecraft nowadays are controlled using flight computers and associated programs (flight software). As the flight hardware and software are developed, tests are conducted with actual flight hardware and software using ground computers to simulate the spacecraft and its flight environment. When the first flight finally occurs, these specialists have been known to hold their breaths for long periods of time and turn blue while waiting for a safe return!

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Answer provided by Jon H. Brown

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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