Space & Aerospace

Component performance is only part of the picture. Space and airborne electronics must meet demanding requirements for operating life, environmental exposure and manufacturing consistency. Supplier data, test results and production records need to support the hardware’s intended use.

We help resolve the questions that affect design decisions, procurement commitments and qualification readiness.

Can a commercial component meet the application requirements?

COTS devices can offer attractive functionality and availability, but their supporting evidence may leave gaps in operating margins, package reliability, traceability or environmental performance.

We assess the available information against the intended application, identify unresolved risks and define the additional evaluation needed to support selection and qualification.

Will devices and interconnects remain reliable?

Semiconductor degradation, parameter drift, die-attach deterioration and interconnect fatigue can affect performance over time. Within hybrids and MCMs, local heating and interactions between materials introduce further reliability concerns.

We connect device, package and assembly risks to operating conditions and mission requirements, helping teams prioritise design improvements and verification.

Does supplier and production evidence remain applicable?

Changes in components, materials or manufacturing processes can affect previously accepted evidence. Incomplete traceability and inconsistent production records can make it difficult to establish which hardware is represented by qualification results.

We review evidence coverage, assess changes and identify the controls or further verification needed to support continued use.

What happens when testing reveals a failure?

A failed qualification test can delay a programme without explaining whether the cause lies in the device, package, assembly process or test conditions.

We investigate the failure and its implications for the affected hardware, supporting containment, corrective action and a justified route to further verification.

Reliability decisions begin with an understanding of how the hardware will operate and what its failure would mean. SPACEREL supports reliability planning, requirements assessment and risk identification throughout development.

Our work can include FMEA/FMECA, reliability allocation and modelling, derating, physics-of-failure assessment, accelerated life-test planning and degradation analysis. We assess whether the available evidence supports the intended operating conditions and service life, with assumptions and limitations clearly documented.

For semiconductor devices and microcircuits, this includes electrical stresses, junction temperature and performance drift. For hybrids, MCMs and assemblies, it extends to die attach, wire bonds, substrate interfaces, package integrity and thermomechanical interactions.

Space applications require consideration of mission duration, launch loads, vacuum compatibility and applicable radiation assurance requirements. Airborne applications require assessment against their installation environment, operating profile and equipment requirements. The engineering scope is established for the programme.

Reliability Engineering

A credible qualification programme brings together component suitability, representative evidence and controlled verification. SPACEREL helps define what needs to be demonstrated and how the results will support the customer’s acceptance decision.

Component assessment and qualification

We review component specifications, supplier reliability data, construction information and application requirements. Support includes qualification-gap assessments, screening and test specifications, clearly defined acceptance criteria, test coordination and results assessment.

Depending on the hardware and project scope, verification can address electrical performance, operating life, thermal cycling, mechanical integrity, moisture sensitivity and package or material compatibility.

Screening, component qualification, lot acceptance and equipment verification are treated as distinct activities, with their purpose and evidence requirements clearly defined.

Supplier and manufacturing quality assurance

We support reviews of supplier documentation, component and lot traceability, manufacturing controls and change records. For microcircuit, hybrid and MCM suppliers, this can include assessment of how construction and process evidence supports the proposed qualification scope.

Nonconformances and production changes are assessed for their effect on reliability and existing qualification evidence. Deliverables identify gaps, recommended actions and the records needed for technical review.

Requirements appropriate to the programme

For space projects, relevant references can include ECSS requirements for EEE components, commercial components and hermetic hybrids, together with applicable ESCC, NASA and MIL specifications.

For airborne electronics, component assurance and equipment environmental qualification are scoped against the customer’s programme and installation requirements. Test methods are selected for the hardware and the agreed requirements.

Component & System Qualification

SPACEREL investigates failures in semiconductor devices, microcircuits, hybrids, MCMs and electronic assemblies. We combine electrical evidence with appropriate physical analysis to establish the failure mechanism and assess its significance.

Investigations can address bond lift, die-attach degradation, delamination, contamination, corrosion, package damage and electrical anomalies. Techniques may include C-SAM, X-ray, SEM/EDS, FIB and cross-sectioning, selected according to the investigation.

Reports connect the findings to containment, design or process improvements and corrective-action verification. Specialist laboratory work is coordinated where required.

Failure Analysis

New component technologies, materials and packaging approaches can introduce uncertainties that existing qualification data does not resolve. SPACEREL supports R&D through feasibility assessment, experimental characterisation and evaluation of reliability-critical behaviour.

We help hardware developers investigate component suitability and development options. For microcircuit and MCM manufacturers, support can include material and process evaluation, investigation of construction-related risks and assessment of proposed improvements.

The work produces technical evidence to guide development decisions and preparation for qualification, with project-specific methods and findings managed confidentially.

Research & Development

Depending on the scope, SPACEREL can provide:

• Component suitability, reliability-risk and qualification-gap assessments.
• Reliability analyses and recommendations for design or operating margins.
• Screening and qualification specifications with acceptance criteria.
• Supplier-evidence, traceability and manufacturing-control reviews.
• Test results, failure-analysis reports and corrective-action recommendations.
• R&D findings and technical evidence for development and customer review.

Each deliverable makes clear what has been assessed, what the evidence supports and which actions remain open.