This standard is intended to be referenced, as applicable, in acquisition contracts involving the manufacture of parts or equipment to be used in space and launch vehicles. To ensure the required high quality of the parts, stringent in-process controls must be imposed and a comprehensive test program conducted on the completed parts. A key ingredient of the test program is the assessment of part lot quality based on the destructive examination of samples randomly selected from each production lot. This destructive physical analysis (DPA) is used to verify the internal design, materials, construction, and workmanship of the "as-built" sample parts to preclude installation of parts having patent or latent defects. DPAs can also be used to monitor processes to evaluate supplier production trends and for failure analysis. DPAs can also be used to derive information to aid in defining improvement changes in design, materials, or processes or to aid in dispositioning parts that exhibit anomalies.