Quality Assurance Amp Standards in Space Projects
Quality Assurance Amp Standards in Space Projects
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The definitions of quality assurance according to some TABLE III. ECSS STANDARDS
well-known organizations are given in TABLE I. Standard Number Standard Name
ECSS-Q-ST-10C Rev.1 Product Assurance Management
TABLE I. QUALITY ASSURANCE DEFINITIONS ACCORDING TO
ORGANIZATIONS ECSS-Q-ST-20C Rev.2 Quality assurance
Organization Quality Assurance Definition ECSS-Q-ST-20-07C Quality and safety assurance for space test
centers
Part of quality management focused on providing ECSS-Q-ST-20-08C Storage, handling and transportation of
ECSS
confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled [7]. spacecraft hardware
ECSS-Q-ST-20-10C Off-the-shelf items utilization in space systems
Processes, activities and functions that evaluate
successful realization of product conformance and ECSS-Q-ST-10-04C Critical-item control
NASA realization of the quality controls planned for
maximizing and determining process or product ECSS-Q-ST-10-09C Nonconformance control system
conformance [8]. Rev.1
ECSS-Q-ST-30C Rev.1 Dependability
A planned system of all actions necessary to ensure that
JAXA the end items will satisfy all quality requirements ECSS-Q-ST-40C Rev.1 Safety
specified [9].
ECSS-Q-ST-60C Rev.3 EEE components
Apart from the projects, organizations need to construct ECSS-Q-ST-70C Rev.2 Materials, mechanical parts and process
quality management systems (QMS) compatible with
ISO9001 or EN/AS/JIS9100 to manage their institutional ECSS-Q-ST-80C Rev.1 Software assurance
processes. In [10], QMS is defined as “ part of a
QA standard [13] defines the requirements for the
management system concerning quality” and indicate that
establishment and implementation of a QA program for
QMS provides a framework for quality management products of space projects. Standard defines general
activities. The quality policy is determined within the scope activities that are independent project phases and it also
of QMS and plans are made under this policy. defines principles and requirements according to project
Implementation of the quality management system can help activities. The following phase-independent activities stated
to improve the overall performance of the organization and as;
sustainable development [11].
Critical-items control
II. STANDARDS Nonconformance control
The main space standards & policies that set the essential Alert management
requirements for the PA or MA management, belonging to Acceptance authority media control
major organizations are given in TABLE. These sources Traceability
determine the fundamental framework of organizations. In Metrology and calibration
the proceeding sections, these standards are defined Handling, storage and preservation
according to owner organizations. Statistical quality control
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These policies assure compliance of manufactured and JMR-004C Reliability Program Standard
tested items, by personnel, test equipment and facilities,
manufacturing processes, and of management systems for the JMR-002D Launch Vehicle Payload Safety Standard
criticality of the mission, systems, subsystems, components,
subassemblies, parts, and materials [14]. ISO Standards
The number of NASA technical standard and handbook ISO publishes international standards for aerospace industry
series that constitute of safety, quality, reliability and as well as for the other industrial applications. The
maintainability are above thirty as of January 2023. technical committee 20 (TC20) and its subcommittees SC12
and SC14 are responsible for publishing space systems
TABLE shows some standards and handbooks of NASA
8xxx technical standard series. standards. Some of these standards are shown in TABLE
VI.
TABLE IV. NASA STANDARDS
Standard Number Standard Name TABLE VI. ISO STANDARDS
NASA-STD-8729.1 NASA Reliability and Maintainability (R&M)
Standard Standard Number Standard Name
ISO 14300-2:2011 Space systems - Programme management - Part 2:
NASA-STD-8739.10 EEE Parts Assurance Standard
Product assurance
NASA-STD-8739.12 Metrology & Calibration ISO 27025:2010 Space systems - Programme management - Quality
assurance requirements
NASA-STD-8739.6 Implementation Requirements for NASA ISO 20188:2018 Space systems - Product assurance requirements for
Workmanship Standards commercial satellites
NASA-STD-8739.8 Software Assurance and Software Safety ISO 23461:2010 Space systems - Programme management - Non-
Standard conformance control system
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TOR-2013(3909)-1 Objective Reuse of Heritage Products A typical project life cycle is illustrated in Fig. 2 and
project phases are associated with major project activities.
Tailoring
It shall be necessary to adapt the requirements that come
from the standards according to the content of the projects
and customer requests. Tailoring is stated as “the process of
adapting the requirements to project specificities” in [18]
and seven steps in tailoring activities are listed;
Identification of project characteristics
Analysis of project characteristics and
identifications of risks
Selection of applicable ECSS standards
Selection of requirements from applicable
standards
Complementation of requirements
Harmonization of requirements
Fig. 2. Project life cycle [31]
Documenting of requirements applicability
Project reviews such preliminary design review (PDR),
A draft standard in [19] was published about tailoring as critical design review (CDR), etc. are linked to the end of
of June 2020. This standard describes in detail the tailoring these activities. These phases are defined below;
methodology. The project characteristics complexity, Phase 0-Mission analysis/needs identification
budget, life cycle, risk policy, and type of product are Phase A-Feasibility
decisive tailoring criteria. The tailoring approaches may
Phase B-Preliminary Definition
vary by organization. For instance, NASA Jet Propulsion
Phase C-Detailed Definition
Laboratory (JPL) defines three type of projects for tailoring
QA requirements which are illustrated in Fig. 1 [20]. Phase D-Qualification and Production
Phase E-Utilization
Phase F-Disposal
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[23] defines the fundamental concepts of the verification QA Requirements for Testing
process, the criteria for defining the verification strategy, As a brief description, a test is a verification method. In
and specifies the requirements for the implementation of the general, the most critical requirements shall be met with
verification program. The interfaces of system products test. This reality is increasing the test and test philosophy
must be complied with the system-level construction importance. Testing standard [25] addresses the
specifications and adapt to the coordination between the requirements for performing verification by testing space
later systems and the final assembly [24]. segment elements and space segment equipment on the
For qualification the QA standard in [13] states “QA ground prior to launch. Standard [26] specifies the test
should ensure that qualification approach is implemented to scopes as “the complete test program for launch vehicles,
demonstrate that the item performs satisfactorily in the upper-stage vehicles and space vehicles encompasses
intended environment”. development, qualification, acceptance, system, pre-launch
QA Requirements for Procurement validation, and post-launch validation tests” for standing
extremely severe and unforgiving environments.
Procurement activities, selection of sources, control of
This demanding and comprehensive testing process
purchase documents, and surveillance of suppliers should be
imposes a significant responsibility for QA and requires
controlled under the QA. Some details of QA controls in
careful monitoring of testing activities. Standard [13] states
this activity listed below:
tasks for QA before the test, during the test and after the test
Pre-order survey of the supplier’s facility and and critic topics on which QA should focus stated below;
capability
Test facilities
Comprehensive descriptions of the items/services
Test equipment
Acceptance conditions
Test documentation
Surveillance over all activities, audit and inspection
Test performance monitoring
points
Test reviews
QA Requirements for Manufacturing, Assembly and
Integration Fig. 3 shows performed tests to ensure the mission success
Manufacturing, assembly, and integration are activities for launch and the on-orbit [27].
with the most intensive tasks for QA. The production
processes of spacecraft elements that contain complex
avionics and critical mechanics should be accomplished
carefully in order to realize the desired design. Standard
[13] also defines the basic principles as “all manufacturing,
assembly, and integration operations are planned and
performed in coordination with inspections and tests to
ensure that the deliverables are built, assembled and
integrated to the approved configuration baseline”.
Nonconformance that occurs in these activities can be
more expensive and time delaying issues. Thus, awareness
and attendance of persons working on the production
process about quality concerns are very important. For this
goal, the standard mandates various requirements listed
below;
Material and component selection criteria, a process Have all qualification and acceptance tests been
called special and critical, workmanship standards, and completed?
inspection methods are key points for these activities. The Are all nonconformance tracked and appropriate
traceability that is the general principle of QA should waivers/deviations raised and approved?
maintain in all stages of manufacturing, assembly, and Is the end item data package (EIDP) complete?
integration via documentation, forms and logs.
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QA responsibles are the members of a delivery review time and effort required for quality to operate the processes
board and should ensure that no open items about healthily will directly affect the success of the project.
acceptance. The configurations (hardware, software) states With the exception of all these considerations, it is
should be checked and recorded as a final configuration. obvious the actual effectiveness of these defined quality
Since spacecraft preservation on the ground and principles and requirements and the kinds of improvements
transportation to launch site issues are so diligent, it should that can be made are separate evaluation issues.
be planned to refer to storage, handling, and transportation
of spacecraft hardware standards [28].
In launch activities responsibilities differ from previous REFERENCES
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