[net.general] $24M satellite almost lost due to software error?

coproc (12/01/82)

TIME (November 29) claims that the recent Telesat satellite
launched by Columbia (worth $24M) was nearly useless because
"a computer programmer had apparently goofed, reversing the
number of the correct communication frequency."

What's going on here?  Doesn't Telesat test software?  Or
is this an oversimplification (typical) by TIME?

		John Wallace