Consider the components of a rocket: engines, physical structure, electronics, software, ground systems and so forth.
As we build complex systems (even cell phones, cars, planes), it is necessary to verify and validate our designs with thorough and reliable testing. This process takes a product through a series of tests to qualify it for a specific use case, ensuring it will function in a safe and expected manner.
While this may seem straightforward, companies must balance high costs, long schedules, and resource constraints associated with these test campaigns, leading to risk-based decisions that can result in ineffective test programs because of financial, time, or resource constraints.
In this presentation, we are going to explore what it means to qualify a system for spaceflight and how to balance the costs and benefits of testing. We will go step-by-step on the following topics:
- Minimizing risk with different test approaches through the phases of a product development lifecycle.
- Reviewing the methodology used to create an effective tailored qualification test program.
Khushbu Patel
Khushbu is an avionics engineer at Gravitics, with a commitment to advancing humanity’s presence in the universe. At Virgin Orbit and Relativity Space, she was responsible for the safety of space vehicles, payloads and crews, bridging the gap between simulation and flight operations for avionics and vehicle software. Her expertise in solving intricate technical challenges is applied to the development of full fidelity test systems and vital vehicle life support systems, shaping next generation space station modules and avionics at Gravitics.
Founded in 2021, Gravitics, Inc. is an aerospace company that designs and manufactures large space structures, including pressurized space station modules–the building blocks for scalable space platforms. Gravitics is enabling a new era in human and robotic utilization of low Earth orbit and beyond.