The best way to determine an object’s breaking point is to break it. Rocket scientists try to break the spacecraft on Earth—to reveal all its flaws—before the faults reveal themselves in space. This objective requires exposing every component, down to the screws, to the same type of shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures awaiting them in space. Scientists and engineers must think through all the ways that they can trick these components and lines of computer code into committing fatal errors.
