The document outlines the European Space Agency's (ESA) history, vision, and areas of activity, emphasizing product assurance and safety in space projects. It discusses the evolution of quality management from traditional approaches to modern quality leadership, highlighting the importance of standards and collaboration for successful missions. The document also presents a Finnish perspective on ESA involvement and ongoing efforts to foster innovation and a robust space industry.

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR SPACE PROJECTS
Paavo Heiskanen
Aalto University
2019-10-25

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INTRODUCTION – Paavo Heiskanen
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• Olari Secondary School (Maths & Physics)
• Helsinki University of Technology (Bachelor in Automation)
• Erasmus Mundus SpaceMaster (2nd Round, HUT, WTU, LUT)
• Murata Electronics (VTI Technologies -> Murata Finland)
• Test Equipment Engineer -> Component Process Owner ->
Quality Account Manager
• European Space Agency, Product Assurance and Safety, TEC-Q
• Components Engineer -> REACH Officer
• ASQ Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence

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OUTLINE
THIS IS ESA History, Vision , and Areas of Activity
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PRODUCT ASSURANCE &
SAFETY
Product Assurance in ESA Projects and R&D
Standardization & European Non-dependence
(ECSS and ESCC)
Key considerations for Components, Materials and
Processes
Technical Expert Support and Laboratories
FROM QUALITY
MANAGEMENT TO
QUALITY LEADERSHIP
FINNISH PERSPECTIVE
Digitalization as an Enabler
The Special Case of New Space
Space19+ and beyond

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1975 SIGNING OF ESA CONVENTION
10MEMBER STATES
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2019 TODAY
22MEMBER STATES
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THE EXPLORERS AND THEIR CHALLENGE
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THE EXPLORERS AND THEIR CHALLENGE
1. EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE
2. IMPROVE LIFE ON EARTH
…WHILE SERVING
PEACEFUL PURPOSES
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ENABLING AND SUPPORTING
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ENABLING AND SUPPORTING
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TRAVELLING TO SPACE Europe’s Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana

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ENABLING AND SUPPORTING
ESA’S TECHNICAL HEART ESTEC, Netherlands
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ENABLING AND SUPPORTING
GUARANTEED FOR FLIGHT Testing
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ENABLING AND SUPPORTING
TAKING CONTROL ESOC control room
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ENABLING AND SUPPORTING
NETWORK OF SPACE ANTENNAS Spain, Australia & Argentina
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SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION

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SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
AMAZING NEW SCIENCE Rosetta
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SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
BEYOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM The origins of our universe
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SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE ExoMars rover
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SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
WHERE NEXT Human spaceflight
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APPLICATIONS
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APPLICATIONS
WATCHING OVER OUR EARTH Air quality map
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APPLICATIONS
WATCHING OVER OUR EARTH Flooded areas
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APPLICATIONS
CONNECTING YOUR WORLD EDRS
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APPLICATIONS
CONNECTING YOUR WORLD EDRS Global
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APPLICATIONS
CONNECTING YOUR WORLD Galileo constellation
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SAFETY AND SECURITY
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SAFETY AND SECURITY
MAKING IT SAFE Hera
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PRODUCT
ASSURANCE &
SAFETY

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- Attributed to Captain Alfred Gilmer
Lamplugh
Historical context
- Gene Kranz, Failure is not an
option, describing the
aftermath of Apollo I fire.

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Origins of Product Assurance 1/3

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Origins of Product Assurance 2/3

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Origins of Product Assurance 3/3

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A few more example cases

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Product Assurance Organization (PA classic)
- Product assurance management
(ECSS-Q-ST-10C Rev.1)

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Lack of Quality is easy to recognize…

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… but proving an item has Quality is something different.
Customer Requirements
Achiveable?
Verifiable?
Complete?
Unchanging?
Knowledge?
Quality
mindset?
Item
Testable?
Acceptable?
Repeatable?

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Traditional Systems Engineering Approach
- Project planning and
Implementation
(ECSS‐M‐ST‐10C Rev. 1)
- Systems Engineering
Body of Knowledge

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The ECSS system
Completely free to
use, end-to-end
standardization
system, made
available by the
European Space
community.
https://ecss.nl/

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The ECSS system – Product Assurance
How to run a PA program, critical items, nonconformances
PA Management
QA basics, storage, handling and transport
Quality Assurance
Failure modes analysis, availability, derating
Dependability
Fault Tree Analysis, hazards
Safety
Testing standards, ASICs & FPGAs, COTS, Radiation
EEE Components
37 specific standards for all parts used in hardware
Materials, Mechanical
Parts & Processes
Single standard for Software PA
Software Product
Assurance

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The ECSS system – DRDs

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Of course we have an app…
• Keyword search
• Standards
references
• Favorites
• Change requests
• …and more

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Product Assurance – timeliness considerations
Time
Cost
Of
Change
Design
Freedom
When
should you
commit QA
resources?
How to
measure the
maturity of
the design?

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Technology Readiness Levels
• What is a TRL?
• early monitoring of … technology developments serving a given future
mission
• providing a status on the technical readiness of a future project
• monitoring the technology progress throughout development
• Handbook ECSS-E-HB-11A:
• measure of the maturity of a technology.
• TRL assessment is valid for a given element, at a given point in time,
and a given defined environment
• TRL 5 and higher are assessed to a specific mission environment
• Important De-Risking tool:
• If key elements of your design are single-supply, or low TRL, you
should invest on some contingencies / risk reduction
• Pro-active use of resources to generate margins for the product

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ESA / ESTEC Technical support and laboratories
Radiation Materials Processes
… and electronics components, batteries, thermal & vacuum effects, radio
frequency components, antennas, atomic oxygen, solar irradiation, and
many, many more.

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Space Components and Materials
• ESCC is a European system to
coordinate activities amongst
members so as to ensure the
availability of EEE* parts for
European Space programmes.
• A system of specifications for
electronics components and
qualified manufacturers & parts
www.spacecomponents.org
www.escies.org
*) Electrical, Electronical and Electromechanical
• Has special industry boards for:
• Components Technology,
and
• Materials and Processes
Technology
• Coordinates R&D
• Manages Obsolescence
• Contributes to standardization

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So with all this infrastructure, nothing can go wrong, right?
Legacy code
& Heritage
Emergent failuresCosts and delays

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Some attempts to cope with these (and other) issues
Digital twins Agile development Public-Private Partnerships
Advanced Manufacturing Commercial electronics
New
Space

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FROM QUALITY
MANAGEMENT TO
QUALITY LEADERSHIP
- QUALITY 4.0

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Role of the quality function in new space transformation
Management
+ Administration
+ Maintenance
+ Organization
+ Budgeting
+ Planning
+ Controlling
+ Short View
+ Asking How, When?
+ Focus on Systems and Structures
Leadership
+ Facilitation
+ Appraisal
+ Advising
+ Enabling
+ Innovation
+ Inspiration
+ Long view
+ Asking What, Why?
+ Focus on People
Doing Things
Right
Doing Right
Things
From Quality Management to
Quality Leadership

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Role of the quality function in new space transformation
From Compliance
To Excellence
Quality Management
Compliance
Excellence
Quality Leadership
Excellence
Compliance

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Role of the quality function in new space transformation
Quality Leaders understand:
• Engineering, Manufacturing
and Operations
• Processes
• Requirements
• Specifications
• Systems Thinking
-> All required in New Space
Quality Leadership should drive
transformation: “Quality 4.0”
Engineering /
Operations
Information
Technology
Quality
Assurance

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Role of the quality function in new space transformation
Time
Performance
Compliance (Quality Management)
Excellence (Quality Leadership)

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Tools for Quality Leaders – no need to reinvent the wheel

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Conclusions, food for thought
• ECSS/ESCC is your friend, you have to know the rules to know when you can
break the rules
• Special considerations for components (Pb-free solder, plastic packages,
radiation sensitivity, …) and materials (Outgassing, obsolescence
management, evaluation and qualification, ….)
• Consider the Total Cost of Quality from the start of the project
• Customer centric view versus Technology centric view
• Continuous improvement also applies to yourself

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FINNISH PERSPECTIVE
Space19+ and beyond

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ESA Budget

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(Some) Finnish companies participating in ESA projects

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Further resources
• Technology Transfer Programs:
• ESA Patents
• Business Incubators
• Open Space Innovation Platform: https://ideas.esa.int
• co-funded research, early technology developments, or system studies
• Invitations To Tender: https://emits.sso.esa.int
• Technology Harmonisation: ESTMP
• ESA SME Office: training, resources and advice
• Arctic task force and road map
• Copernicus data is free: https://www.copernicus.eu/en/access-data

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Space 19+ and beyond, future of Finnish space
Vibrant industrial base
• Diverse ecosystem of
equipment manufacturers and
service providers
• Innovative R&D
Long term government
strategy
• Provide backbone industrial
orders and predictability
STEM education
• Ensure capable workforce
• Cross-fertilize from other
fields
International co-
operation
• ESA
• EU DG Space
• Industry associations
Strong
professional
network

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DISCOVER MORE
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www.esa.int
Are you ready to discover more?