Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Spaceworthiness

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Spaceworthiness, or aerospaceworthiness, is a property, or ability of a spacecraft to perform to its design objectives and navigate successfully through both the space envirionment and the atmosphere as a part of a journey to or from space.

As in airworthiness, the spaceworthiness of a spacecraft depends on at least three basic components:

  • design of the spacecraft, which covers activities of engineering evaluation, simulations, laboratory and prototype tests, and experimental flights;
  • production, which seeks to ensure that the spacecraft has been assembled in conformity with the design specification;
  • maintenance of the spacecraft, after production, before and during each flight mission.

    • Spaceworthiness is typically maintained through a program of (periodic) preventive or predictive maintenance, and / or with the aid of a system of analysis, diagnosis and management of health and reliability of the spacecraft.

    Spaceworthiness of launch vehicles and spacecraft is an extension of the concepts of seaworthiness, for boats and ships, and of airworthiness, for aircraft.

    References

    Spaceworthiness Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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