837095c6390ee9493e66d5de27386b78d597bbc34ba6eebbff3692c10685768fECSS-Q-ST-30-02C: Failure modes, effects and criticality analysis
NASA-STD-8739.10: Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Parts Assurance Standard
Architecture: Selective single-fault tolerance for commandability and recoverable bus functions, with explicitly accepted concept-stage single-point failures for intrinsically single-string payload, structure, thermal-rejection, propulsion, distribution, and software elements.
Maximum accepted residual risk-priority number:
24
| Subsystem | Failure tolerance | Redundancy approach | Safe state | Accepted SPF IDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
optics |
0 |
The primary and secondary mirrors are single-string precision elements; support interfaces are multiply constrained and inspected, but mirror replacement is unavailable on orbit. | Preserve thermal control and pointing while suspending science after detected optical-path damage. | REL-OPT-001 |
detector |
0 |
The 2x2 detector mosaic and dual heaters tolerate limited tile or heater loss, while the common focal-plane support and cold interface remain single-string. | Isolate detector bias, hold the survival set point, and retain command telemetry. | REL-DET-001 |
structures_and_mechanisms |
0 |
Repeated supports, dual radiator releases, synchronized springs, and retained captures limit local failures; the common metering and bus load path is not on-orbit replaceable. | Inhibit further mechanism motion and enter thermally safe coarse-sun hold after a failed release or structural anomaly. | REL-MEC-001 |
thermal_control |
0 |
Redundant detector heaters and sensors provide local fault tolerance, but the shared deployed radiator rejection area and heat-transport path remain common resources. | Shed detector and science loads, command survival heaters, and hold the protective pointing envelope. | REL-THM-001 |
power |
0 |
Two battery modules, twenty solar strings, four MPPT channels, and protected load-shed branches tolerate local faults; the regulated distribution enclosure and output bus remain a common function. | Shed non-survival loads and maintain one battery, one charge path, S-band commandability, and survival thermal control. | REL-PWR-001 |
propulsion |
0 |
Four thrusters and six latch valves provide branch isolation, while the single diaphragm tank and common pressurant/feed path remain accepted concept-stage critical items. | Close all latch valves, inhibit burns, unload momentum magnetically, and retain command telemetry. | REL-PRO-001 |
adcs |
1 |
Paired fine sensors, eight coarse Sun sensors, a four-wheel tetrahedron, and a three-axis magnetorquer set retain safe attitude control after one declared unit loss. | Disable reaction wheels when necessary and use coarse Sun sensors, magnetometers, and magnetorquers for detumble and coarse-sun acquisition. | none |
cdh |
1 |
Cold-redundant flight computers, recorders, and cross-strapped SpaceWire routers preserve command and stored-data functions after one lane loss. | Isolate the failed lane, boot the cold spare, protect recorder contents, and enter safe mode pending ground authorization. | none |
communications |
1 |
Cross-strapped X-band, S-band, and RF distribution pairs plus body-face antenna diversity preserve a command/telemetry path after one declared unit loss. | Isolate the failed RF lane and maintain low-rate S-band command and telemetry through the surviving distribution and antenna path. | none |
flight_software |
0 |
Watchdogs, cold-lane restart, safe-mode transitions, and ground-authorized recovery mitigate hardware-lane faults; a common requirements or flight-image defect can affect both lanes. | Enter the minimal safe configuration, reject autonomous safe-mode exit, and await a validated ground recovery image or command sequence. | REL-FSW-001 |
Severity is ranked from minor 1 to catastrophic
4; occurrence and detection are ranked from 1
(best) to 5 (worst). RPN is their product.
| ID | Subsystem | Item / failure mode | Severity | Initial RPN | Residual RPN | SPF | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
REL-OPT-001 |
optics |
primary mirror: Fracture or permanent figure loss. | critical |
12 |
6 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-OPT-002 |
optics |
secondary support member: One support or joint loses stiffness. | marginal |
12 |
4 |
no | mitigated |
REL-DET-001 |
detector |
common focal-plane cold interface: Common cold finger, focal support, or shared detector interface loses thermal or structural continuity. | critical |
12 |
6 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-DET-002 |
detector |
detector survival heater: One heater circuit fails open. | marginal |
12 |
2 |
no | mitigated |
REL-MEC-001 |
structures_and_mechanisms |
common metering and bus load path: Common metering structure or spacecraft attachment suffers global fracture or instability. | catastrophic |
16 |
8 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-MEC-002 |
structures_and_mechanisms |
radiator stow release chain: One release puller or latch shoe does not clear. | critical |
18 |
3 |
no | mitigated |
REL-THM-001 |
thermal_control |
common radiator rejection path: Shared radiator area or common heat-transport path becomes unavailable. | critical |
12 |
3 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-THM-002 |
thermal_control |
detector temperature sensor: One sensor drifts or fails out of range. | marginal |
12 |
2 |
no | mitigated |
REL-PWR-001 |
power |
common regulated distribution bus: PCDU output bus or common enclosure suffers a non-isolatable failure. | catastrophic |
16 |
8 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-PWR-002 |
power |
battery module: One battery module loses capacity or is isolated. | critical |
18 |
3 |
no | mitigated |
REL-PRO-001 |
propulsion |
diaphragm propellant tank and common pressurant path: Tank or common pressurant path leaks, ruptures, or cannot supply the manifold. | catastrophic |
16 |
8 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-PRO-002 |
propulsion |
one aft thruster branch: One thruster or branch valve fails closed or is isolated. | marginal |
12 |
2 |
no | mitigated |
REL-ADCS-001 |
adcs |
one reaction wheel: Wheel seizes, loses torque, or produces excessive disturbance. | critical |
18 |
3 |
no | mitigated |
REL-ADCS-002 |
adcs |
one star tracker: Tracker blinds, resets, or produces invalid solutions. | marginal |
12 |
2 |
no | mitigated |
REL-CDH-001 |
cdh |
active flight-computer lane: Processor, memory, or local power lane fails. | critical |
9 |
3 |
no | mitigated |
REL-CDH-002 |
cdh |
active solid-state recorder: Recorder becomes unwritable or corrupts stored data. | marginal |
12 |
2 |
no | mitigated |
REL-COM-001 |
communications |
active S-band transceiver path: Transceiver or RF distribution lane loses command and telemetry transfer. | catastrophic |
24 |
4 |
no | mitigated |
REL-COM-002 |
communications |
active X-band science chain: Transponder or phased-array lane loses science downlink capability. | critical |
18 |
3 |
no | mitigated |
REL-FSW-001 |
flight_software |
common flight-software requirements and image: Common requirements, logic, or uploaded-image defect drives both computer lanes into the same unsafe behavior. | catastrophic |
36 |
12 |
yes | accepted_single_point_failure |
REL-FSW-002 |
flight_software |
one active computer execution lane: Watchdog timeout or local execution corruption. | critical |
12 |
3 |
no | mitigated |
These are not described as eliminated. Each remains in the critical-item register until later design or qualification evidence removes or accepts it at program level.
| ID | End effect | Mitigations | Verification | Owner and residual rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
REL-OPT-001 |
Primary science mission lost. | Proof-load and inspection control of the mirror and cell; positive launch-restraint margins and controlled thermal gradients | primary-mirror-mount, launch-loads, thermal-gradients, manufacturing-inspection | payload chief engineer: A second one-metre primary is outside the concept mass and packaging allocation; acceptance requires later fracture-control and qualification evidence. |
REL-DET-001 |
Primary science mission lost while bus commandability remains. | Explicit cold-finger clamps and routed thermal straps; detector temperature and focal-plane interface monitoring | detector-subsystem, focal-plane-layout, internal-interface-completeness | detector lead: The concept has a single focal station; later design must qualify the common cold interface and determine whether tile-level electrical isolation is sufficient. |
REL-MEC-001 |
Spacecraft or primary mission lost. | Positive screened load and modal margins across repeated members; controlled material and joint inspection before launch | structural-model, integrated-modal, joint-sizing, manufacturing-inspection | mechanical chief engineer: The released concept has no duplicate observatory-scale metering structure; later FEM, proof, vibration, and fracture-control evidence is required. |
REL-THM-001 |
Science mission is suspended and detector survival can be threatened. | Temperature guard sensors and autonomous load shedding; deployment capture checks and mission-life thermal robustness margins | thermal-sanity, thermal-control, thermal-robustness, deployment-timeline | thermal lead: A second independent full-capacity rejection system is not allocated; the concept accepts science loss while preserving a monitored survival response. |
REL-PWR-001 |
Spacecraft commandability and survival functions are lost. | Internally dual-fault-tolerant regulation with branch protection and load shedding; independent battery contactors and four isolated MPPT inputs | power-policy, fdir-policy, radiation-analysis | EPS lead: The current geometry declares one PCDU enclosure and common regulated bus; a later design must allocate physically separated essential-bus feeds to remove this critical item. |
REL-PRO-001 |
Orbit maintenance and planned disposal capability are lost; rupture could threaten the spacecraft. | Qualified diaphragm tank and regulated-pressure margin; isolation valves with pressure trending and burn inhibits | propulsion-policy, manufacturing-inspection, radiation-analysis | propulsion lead: Tank duplication is not carried in the current mass allocation; pressure-vessel qualification and MMOD assessment remain required before flight release. |
REL-FSW-001 |
Spacecraft or mission capability can be lost despite lane switching. | Independent software verification with hardware-in-the-loop fault injection; protected recovery image and ground-authorized safe-mode exit | fdir-policy, test-plan-policy | flight software lead: The repository defines behavior and automated checks but does not yet contain independent flight-software verification or hardware-in-the-loop campaign evidence. |
pure tin, cadmium, zinc.mission-environment-application-life assessment; manufacturer process and change-control evidence; lot-specific screening and qualification plan; radiation review; parts control board approval.<= 0.80 and
rated-temperature margin >= 20.0 C.| EEE category | Stress parameters | Maximum stress ratio | Minimum temperature margin |
|---|---|---|---|
microcircuits |
supply voltage, output current, and junction temperature | 0.80 |
20.0 C |
discrete_semiconductors |
voltage, current, power dissipation, and junction temperature | 0.70 |
25.0 C |
capacitors |
applied voltage, ripple current, and hot-spot temperature | 0.50 |
20.0 C |
resistors |
applied voltage, power dissipation, and hot-spot temperature | 0.50 |
20.0 C |
magnetics |
voltage, current, flux density, and winding temperature | 0.70 |
20.0 C |
relays_switches |
contact current, switched voltage, coil voltage, and temperature | 0.50 |
20.0 C |
connectors_wiring |
contact or conductor current and insulation temperature | 0.50 |
20.0 C |
optoelectronics |
drive current, reverse voltage, optical power, and junction temperature | 0.70 |
25.0 C |
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
reliability_policy_schema_supported |
PASS |
reliability_standards_and_scope_complete |
PASS |
released_subsystem_redundancy_strategies_complete |
PASS |
subsystem_fmeca_complete_and_residual_risk_bounded |
PASS |
single_point_failures_declared_and_mitigated |
PASS |
eee_parts_assurance_and_derating_policy_complete |
PASS |