scope:

Purpose

The purpose of this Standard is to specify the minimum structural design requirements for the design, development, and verification of windows, glass, and ceramic structure included in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) vehicles/elements, habitats, space suits, all orbital support equipment (OSE), and flight support equipment (FSE). Although this Standard primarily addresses structural design requirements for glass and ceramics, it also includes design and verification requirements for non-structural glass and ceramic components. Optical performance and radiation specifications are not provided in this document.

Applicability

This Standard is applicable to all human-rated flight vehicle and element hardware, including orbital replacement units, space suits, OSE, and FSE. The requirements in this Standard also apply to all human-inhabitable structures built beyond Earth's surface.

This Standard does not apply to windowpanes made from non-brittle materials, including plastics. Windowpanes designed with non-brittle materials are to comply with standard engineering design requirements for primary structure.

Adherence to this document in and of itself does not exempt flight windows, glass, or ceramics from any safety, fault-tolerance, or hazard control requirements. Any such reduction in requirements shall be established and approved by the appropriate NASA Technical Authority of the program invoking this document.

This Standard is approved for use by NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers, and may be cited in contract, program, and other Agency documents as a technical requirement to ensure the structural integrity and reliability of human-rated spacecraft. This Standard may also apply to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or to contractors, grant recipients, or parties to agreements only to the extent specified or referenced in their contracts, grants, or agreements.

Requirements are numbered and indicated by the word "shall." Explanatory or guidance text is indicated in italics beginning in section 4.