[LEAPSECS] Cost: getting rid of GMT & discontinuing leap seconds

[Rob Seaman]

On Oct 24, 2010, at 11:12 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:


> The CASIMO Flight Control software is a typical example:  Every time

> a leap second happens, the flight controllers are instructed to attain

> a situation that does not require their existance around the leap second

> and sit back and watch the fireworks.

> 

> Medicine production is another case:  In continuous production

> setups, all materials have to be traceable to with second granualirity

> (FDA, EU and other regulations), which basically means that either

> nothing happens over the leap second (ie: maintenance shutdown) or

> everything in the factory has to cope correctly with leap seconds.


And do either of these use cases have any connection to Earth orientation?  What coherent system design process led the engineers to select UTC in spite of the existence of leap seconds?

Rob