calummurray

Do you have Software vacancies in London? I don't see any in the link you provided.

I'm aware of that project. I'd love to have a chat about it. I had no idea there was anything based in London for that. Shoot me an email, it's in my profile.

Hate to disappoint you, but we also use VectorCAST for unit test code coverage.

This is right. As long as the UK continues to contribute to ESA funds, we should get commensurate work in return ("geo-return").

However, our involvement in projects coming from the European Commission (EC), which is EU-related, such as the Copernicus programme ("Sentinel" satellites) could be negatively impacted.

We have a little bit of assembly for processor-specific startup housekeeping, but that's mostly reused with small modifications for different boards. The rest of the code base is entirely C, managing functions such as ground communications, mobility (locomotion, navigation and control), thermal management, power management, fault detection and recovery, payload (e.g. science instrument) management and mission planning.

We need 100% branch code coverage at unit test level, and have function validation tests written in Java that validate the software against the requirements, running on simulated hardware. Similar tests are run against simulators with progressively more hardware-in-the-loop for more confidence.

Yes, to test mobility (locomotion and navigation) we have a prototype model that we operate in an environment as close to the Mars surface as possible (representative sand, slopes and rocks etc.)

I've been working for almost 4 years on the on-board flight software for the European Space Agency's Mars Rover to look for signs of water and life on Mars: "ExoMars". It is due to be launched in 2020.

Due to the embedded real-time, mission-critical aspect of the software, the strictness of the process and focus on documentation can be frustrating. The space industry typically doesn't keep pace with new technologies, so we're often stuck using "tried and tested" tools that can feel antiquated. I sometimes feel jealous of developers at agile startups keeping pace with the most new technologies and frameworks that are desirable.

But the knowledge that I will have a significant amount of code that will (hopefully) run on another planet in the search for extraterrestrial life - something I can consider one of the most important thing our species should be doing - is extremely rewarding and motivating.