SMC-S-016 Test Requirements for Launch, Upper Stages, and Space Vehicles

The “ SMC-S-016 Test Requirements for Launch Vehicles, Upper Stages and Spacecraft” standard, published by the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) of the U.S. Air Force Space Command, describes environmental and structural ground testing requirements for launch vehicles, upper stage vehicles, spacecraft, and their subsystems and components. This standard also includes a uniform set of definitions for related terms.

This standard can be applied to the procurement of space system hardware as a conformance document for establishing baseline test requirements. The test requirements here focus on design verification and elimination of latent defects to help provide a high level of confidence in the successful implementation of space missions.

This Standard specifies the qualification testing strategy as the basic test requirements. This strategy consists of testing specific hardware to qualification levels to verify the design, followed by acceptance testing of flight hardware to screen for defects in workmanship.

These test requirements are intended to be tailored to each specific program, considering design complexity, design margins, vulnerabilities, technology status, in-process controls, mission criticality, life cycle cost, number of tools involved, prior use, and acceptable risk. However, tailored requirements achieve a level of verification equivalent to the baseline requirements described herein. Justification is established for each tailored requirement. If the baseline qualification requirements in this standard are not tailored by contract, they remain as written.

The tests discussed here are categorized and defined as follows:

• Development testing: Tests conducted on representative items to characterize engineering parameters, collect data, and validate the design approach.
• Qualification tests: Tests conducted to demonstrate that design requirements, including margin and product robustness for unproven designs, are met. A full qualification retests the planned acceptance program, in-process stress screenings, and environmental stresses resulting from failure and rework. Qualification hardware selected for use as flight hardware is evaluated and reconditioned as necessary to demonstrate that the integrity of the hardware is maintained and that sufficient margin remains to withstand the rigors of launch and provide useful life in orbit.
• Protoqualification tests: Tests conducted to demonstrate that design requirements are met using reduced amplitude and duration margins. Such tests are typically selected for designs with limited production runs where test units will be used for flight. The test program is supported by development and other tests as well as analyses to demonstrate margin and life. Protoqualification tests validate the planned acceptance program.
• Acceptance testing: Instrument, subsystem, and unit tests performed to demonstrate that flight equipment is free from defects in workmanship, meets specified performance requirements, and is acceptable for delivery.
• Pre-launch verification tests: Conducted at the launch base to ensure that the hardware, software, personnel procedures, and mission interfaces are ready to support the launch and program mission.
• Post-launch verification tests: Tests performed after launch to verify specification performance, interface compatibility, calibration, and ability to meet mission requirements.

Environments other than those specified in this standard may be sufficiently stressful to require special analysis and testing. These include environments such as nuclear and electromagnetic radiation, the natural space environment, and lightning.

The general requirements section addresses general requirements applicable to all test categories. General test requirements include requirements for drive equipment, electronics, software, firmware, and thermal and mechanical testing, as well as requirements for inspection, test condition tolerance, test plan and procedure, retesting, and documentation.

This standard establishes a baseline of requirements as part of a validation program. The basic strategy is qualification and acceptance at a full unit, subsystem and vehicle level to ensure the highest possible level of success in meeting performance requirements throughout the mission life cycle.

This standard provides alternatives to qualification and acceptance strategies to achieve an acceptable testing strategy for mission success. Deviations from these standards have demonstrated significant deterioration in mission success and increases in program cost and schedule. There are exceptions where process control or data indicate that a particular requirement is no longer effective or that its implementation would result in a severe overtest condition. These exceptions are treated as waivers.

The complete test program for launch vehicles, upper stages, and spacecraft includes development, qualification, acceptance, system, pre-launch verification, and post-launch verification testing. Test methods, environments, and measured parameters should be selected to permit collection of experimental design or performance data for correlation or trending throughout the test program.

Our organization, which has been trying to support businesses from every sector with its testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies carried out in a wide range for years, has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. In this context, testing services in accordance with the "SMC-S-016 Test requirements for launch, upper stage and space vehicles" standard are also provided to businesses.