| Recurring |
one_organization |
<Article 30682> provides information about a software failure incident related to spacesuit troubles and a battery malfunction that left astronauts unable to go out of the station. This incident occurred at the US space agency NASA. The article mentions that US-based spacewalks were curtailed in July 2013 after Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned due to a flooded helmet following a coolant fault. NASA solved the problem with the suit's water-cooling system, but then concern arose over spacesuit batteries. New batteries arrived late last month, clearing the way for spacewalks to resume [30682].
Regarding incidents at multiple organizations, the article does not mention any similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, the information provided in the article is specific to NASA and its spacewalk-related software failures. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where it mentions that in July last year, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano almost drowned when his helmet filled with water following a coolant fault. This incident was a result of a design flaw or fault in the coolant system of the spacesuit [30682].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article where it describes how in July 2013, Nasa was forced to abandon a spacewalk on the ISS after a dangerous water leak in an astronaut's helmet drenched his eyes, nose, and mouth. This incident occurred during the operation of the spacesuit, leading to a critical failure during the spacewalk [30682]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
The software failure incident described in the articles is primarily within_system. The incident involved a series of technical malfunctions within the spacesuits and equipment used during spacewalks, such as a coolant fault leading to water filling an astronaut's helmet, concerns over spacesuit batteries, and the need for urgent repairs to the station's ammonia-cooling system [30682]. These issues directly impacted the ability of astronauts to conduct spacewalks and perform necessary tasks outside the International Space Station. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in the articles is not related to non-human actions. The incidents mentioned, such as the battery malfunction, coolant fault, and spacesuit troubles leading to the inability of astronauts to go out of the station, were all attributed to technical issues rather than non-human actions [30682].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The software failure incident in the articles is not directly related to human actions causing the failure. The incidents mentioned, such as the flooded helmet, battery concerns, and spacesuit troubles, were primarily technical issues rather than failures caused by human actions [30682]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The incident involving the Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano almost drowning when his helmet filled with water was due to a coolant fault, which was a hardware issue [30682].
- Concerns over spacesuit batteries delaying spacewalks were also related to hardware issues, as new batteries had to be sent up to the International Space Station to address the problem [30682].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The article does not mention any software-related failures or incidents. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
unknown |
The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to a malicious or non-malicious objective. Therefore, the information about the objective of the software failure incident is unknown. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident related to poor_decisions or accidental_decisions. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The incident involving the Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano almost drowning when his helmet filled with water was due to a coolant fault, which could be attributed to a development incompetence in the design or maintenance of the cooling system [30682].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- The dangerous water leak in an astronaut's helmet during a spacewalk on the ISS, which drenched his eyes, nose, and mouth, was an accidental incident that occurred due to a malfunction in the spacesuit's water-cooling system [30682]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the spacesuit troubles and the subsequent spacewalk delays can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident involved a series of contributing factors such as a coolant fault leading to Luca Parmitano's helmet filling with water, a battery malfunction, and concerns over spacesuit batteries [30682]. These issues caused delays in spacewalks and required the arrival of new batteries to clear the way for future spacewalks [30682]. Additionally, ground testing uncovered a potential fuse problem earlier in the year, prompting Nasa to switch out the batteries on board [30682]. These factors indicate that the software failure incident was temporary and not a permanent issue. |
| Behaviour |
omission, timing, value, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any software crashes.
(b) omission: The incident involving Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano almost drowning when his helmet filled with water following a coolant fault can be considered an omission failure as the system omitted to perform its intended function of keeping the astronaut safe [30682].
(c) timing: The incident where the pump could not be moved until now owing to spacesuit troubles can be considered a timing failure as the system performed its intended function but at the wrong time [30682].
(d) value: The incident where a battery malfunction left astronauts unable to go out of the station can be considered a value failure as the system performed its intended function of providing power incorrectly [30682].
(e) byzantine: The articles do not mention any byzantine behavior related to software failures.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in the articles can be described as a combination of omission, timing, and value failures. |