> We update planes’ software as part of maintenance
We don't OTA plane software updates.
> We OTA spacecraft.
Because we can't realistically bring them back and there's an incredible amount of work that goes into make those updates flawless. Spacecraft are not a mass produced consumer product driven by profits and are less likely to have corners cut.
Sure. We still update the software. The tool which airlines use to create update blobs is even online [1].
> Because we can't realistically bring them back
We couldn’t always OTA spacecraft. Back then we just lost them.
The point is in even high-stakes games we don’t write flawless software. Now software in cares is doing more. There will be bugs. Pretending there won’t is delusional.
What we can do is minimise safety-critical bugs by forcing standardisation and certifciation in those components, even if that slows down innovation, and ensuring timely patches. That’s easier with digital than analog, which in turn makes manufacturers more willing to admit they made a mistake.
We don't OTA plane software updates.
> We OTA spacecraft.
Because we can't realistically bring them back and there's an incredible amount of work that goes into make those updates flawless. Spacecraft are not a mass produced consumer product driven by profits and are less likely to have corners cut.