scope:

PURPOSE

This standard provides guidelines for environmental verification programs for Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) payloads, subsystems and components and describes methods for implementing the environmental verifications described. It contains a baseline for demonstrating, by test and/or analysis, the satisfactory performance of hardware in the expected mission environments, and that minimum workmanship standards have been met. It elaborates on those guidelines, gives guideline test levels, provides guidance in the choice of test options, and describes acceptable test and analytical methods for implementing the requirements. It is expected that projects will use this handbook in the development of their environmental requirements. Any guidelines that are intended as "institutional" requirements will be captured in GSFC-Std-1000 Rules for the Design, Development, and Operation of Flight Systems (also known as the GOLD Rules).

These guidelines are intended for use by GSFC projects and contractors and can be tailored to create a project specific verification plan and verification specification as discussed in section 2.1. GSFC projects should select from the options to fulfill the specific payload (spacecraft) requirements in accordance with the launch vehicle to be used, or to cover other mission-specific considerations.

APPLICABILITY AND LIMITATIONS

These guidelines apply to GSFC hardware and associated software that is to be launched on an Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV). Hardware launched by balloons, sounding rockets or aircraft is not included. The guidelines apply to the following:

a. All space flight hardware, including interface hardware, that is developed as part of a payload managed by GSFC, whether developed by (1) GSFC or any of its contractors, (2) another National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) center, or (3) an independent agency; and

b. All space flight hardware, including interface hardware that is developed by GSFC or any of its contractors and that is provided to another NASA installation or independent agency as part of a payload that is not managed by GSFC.

The provisions herein are generally limited to the verification of ELV payloads and to those activities (with emphasis on the environmental verification program) that are closely associated with such verification, such as workmanship and functional testing.

GEVS is written in accordance with the current GSFC practice of using a single protoflight payload for both qualification testing and space flight (see definition of hardware, 1.8). The protoflight verification program, therefore, is given as the nominal test program.