Welcome to the draft of the ECSS-Q-HB-30-02A digital reliability handbook#
This is a draft of the digital version of the ECSS-Q-HB-30-02A reliability handbook, which is currently under preparation by the ECSS. This handbook offers:
Objective#
The ECSS-Q-HB-30-02A reliability handbook was developed to provide a reliability methodology that can be used for space applications, without the limitations and shortcomings of existing reliability prediction methodologies. The present digital handbook is a digitalized version of the ECSS-Q-HB-30-02A reliability handbook that offers easier access, interactive content, and a contemporary design.
This digital handbook contains 7 parts. These parts can be accessed by clicking on the icons below or browsing the table of contents on the left side of this page.
Gives a brief introduction to the project life cycle and to the different phases describing an item’s reliability over time. These concepts are needed to understand the taxonomy and for the reliability prediction process discussed in this handbook.
Provides information on different reliability prediction and methods inputs, allowing to understand the background of the models defined in the following parts.
Explains the modelling of EEE components based on the FIDES methodology.
Introduces different inputs and methods for mechanical reliability prediction and presents elementary reliability modelling of mechanical items.
Introduces methods to treat parts that are difficult to classify into either EEE or mechanical.
Provides an overview of existing methods for system applications and consideration of specific aspects relevant to space applications.
Provides a glossary of terms, definitions and abbreviated terms that can be found in the 6 previous parts.
Reliability prediction (RP) is not an end in itself. The ultimate goal is decision support. A “decision” in this context should be understood as any kind of engineering, project management or business choice or trade-off, including e.g. feasibility assessments and design trade-offs, decisions during operations or for safe disposal, and business planning for single spacecraft or constellations.
The purpose of the Part 1 - Methodology (Section 1) is to provide guidance for the use of reliability prediction to support such decisions. The ground rules and scope of the prediction are defined accounting for the RP objectives and uses as well as for the project life cycle phase in which the predictions are performed. Ultimately, the goal is to select suitable methods and models to perform a prediction in a given context. The Part 2 - Methods (Section 2) contains information about the inputs and modelling approaches that can be used to develop models for reliability predictions in a given application. The discussion of methods can be used to derive new applications or update existing ones. However, the main purpose of this chapter is to form the basis for the application specific-parts following it: Part 3 - EEE (Section 3, Section 4), Part 4 - Mechanical (Section 5, Section 6), Part 5 - Miscellaneous (Section 7, Section 8), Part 6 - System (Section 9, Section 10).
Fig. 1 Tasks in reliability prediction#
Even though the handbook targets decision support, the decision-making as such is left to the user; reliability prediction is limited to providing the numbers that can be used to decide in a given trade-off situation. Also, the practical implementation and development or choice of suitable software tools is outside the scope of this handbook. As a general rule, models are provided with full detail, allowing the development of tools without any restrictions regarding the information needed to implement them.
How to use this digital handbook#
Versioning#
This digital handbook is supplied in a versioned format powered by ReadTheDocs. It is possible to switch between different versions of this document by selecting the desired version from the ReadTheDocs menu at the bottom of the left navigation panel. Besides the numbered versions, two special versions are distinguished:
latestthis is the latest version of the document and might change unexpectedly.stablethis is the latest official version of the document and corresponds to the last released numbered version.
All versions may also be accessed (and linked to) with the following URL: https://handbook.reliability.space/en/<version>/... where <version> can be replaced by any version of this document.
Imprint#
The content of this digital handbook has been developed within the European Space Agency (ESA) project New reliability prediction aimed at space applications (NRPM) under ESA contract No. 4000121065/17/NL/PS (2017-2020).
As part of the ESA project Adaptation of the NRPM Handbook into an ESA Handbook following the ECSS (2021-2022) under ESA contract No. 4000135482/21/NL/AR/va, updated information on the PISTIS project has been added. Otherwise, no material changes have been made to the content.
As part of the ESA project Adaptation of the NRPM Handbook into an ESA Handbook following the ECSS the contents of the handbook were structured to meet the requirements for ESA handbooks.
In the context of the digitalization and possibilities of the digital world, within the ESA project Adaptation of the NRPM Handbook into an ESA Handbook following the ECSS the consortium under the ESA contract No. 4000135482/21/NL/AR/va developed the idea to create a digital interactive version besides the classical handbook version. In the project, the digital version was developed with the aim to show which interactive possibilities exist for books and to conduct a feasibility study for the implementation.
ESA contract No. 4000121065/17/NL/PS (reliability.space) consortium:
ESA contract No. 4000135482/21/NL/AR/va consortium:
Copyright#
© Matrisk GmbH 2022
The copyright in this document is vested in Matrisk GmbH. This document may only be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, either with the prior permission of Matrisk GmbH or in accordance with the terms of ESA Contract No. 4000121065/17/NL/PS.