Benefits of Using Functional Safety in Space Applications

By: Michael Seidl, space products, TI & Florian Lumpe, German Center of Aerospace (DLR)

- Michael Seidl

Private investments into space flight kicked off the age of the so-called "New Space." However, the term "New Space" goes well beyond the rise of private companies and their interest in an optimized return of investment; it represents a paradigm shift in how space products are developed. This shift is driven not only by the private sector but also, to varying degrees, by national agencies, which are actively contributing to this transformation.

Designers and design managers are challenged to manage the risks of growing system level complexity. Accordingly, it is more important than ever to minimize faults by employing various methodologies, such as established verification and validation processes. This also requires minimizing faults from the very beginning of the project, with systems architects, systems engineers, software, hardware designers and product assurance engineers working hand in hand. Additionally, this involves avoiding faults in development tools, such as coding compilers, electronic design software, and RAMS tools.

Commercialization drives the space sector towards a balance between cost, performance, time, and risk. Together, these four factors will dominate the highly competitive industrial markets of the future, and no one can afford to focus on just one of them and still expect to be successful. These four factors must be monitored by a robust management system based on ISO 9001 or other relevant management standards.