Failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) use in the federal aviation administration (FAA) reusable launch vehicle (RLV) licensing process

摘要

The FMECA is a key analytical tool for ensuring the launch vehicle design meets the established requirements. This is the traditional approach outlined in MIL STD 1629A. A broadened FMECA process may be used to enhance the credibility of the new,commercial RLV industry. In a commercial RLV environment, a FMECA can serve two purposes. First, it can ensure operational efficiencies by identifying a Critical Components List (CCL) for maintenance purposes. The CCL focuses maintenance activity on themost justifiable tasks. Second, the FMECA can provide regulators with insight into the system features and how they contribute to overall system safety.Consequently, this paper explores broadening the traditional FMECA approach to encompass the use of this analysis in answering the questions "What can be done to most efficiently organize maintenance?" and "Is the design safe to fly?" The goal is tofoster an environment that strives for the highest level of mission success.Using the CCL and the FMECA together provides an evolutionary approach that combines, through a disciplined process, the needs of the launch provider for high system reliability and quick turnarounds with the regulatory need for assuring public safety.These themes are discussed using the Kistler Aerospace Corporation (KAC) K-1 reusable launch vehicle as the actual example. While FMECA results for the K-1 are incomplete, the methodology used is in place. This methodology is the subject of this paper.