Benchmark Standards for Indian Space Startups

India’s space industry has undergone a significant transformation, with the shift towards private participation in the Indian space sector. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) has been handed over the responsibility to ensure sustainable development for the Indian space sector. A sustainable market would need standardization of products and services which are provided by the space startups to effectively safeguard interests of all stakeholders. The IN-SPACe released a catalogue of standards to be ensured by Indian startups. These standards are released by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) based on the standards setup by the International Standards Organization (ISO). These standards apply to all sectors of space endeavours, including satellites, launch systems, ground systems etc.

List of Standards

1. IS 18326: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management – Material Mechanical Parts and Processes: This document provides guidelines and requirements for managing materials, mechanical parts, and processes (MMPP) used in space systems. The standard applies to the entire lifecycle of space systems, from design and development to manufacturing, testing, and operation. It is intended for use by organizations involved in the design, production, and management of space system components.
2. IS 18327: Part 1 – Space Systems – Programme Management – Part 1 Structuring of a Project: It provides a framework for effectively organizing and managing space projects. It focuses on defining the structure, responsibilities, and processes needed to successfully implement a space program.
3. IS 18327: Part 2 – Space Systems Programme Management Part 2: Product Assurance: It provides guidelines for implementing product assurance activities in space systems during their development, production, and operational phases. The standard focuses on ensuring the quality, reliability, and safety of space systems and their components.
4. IS 18328: Part 1 :2023 – Space Systems Safety Requirements Part 1: System Safety: It provides guidelines and requirements for ensuring safety in the design, development, testing, operation, and disposal of space systems.
5. IS 18329: Part 1: 2023 – Space Systems Electrical Electronic and Electromechanical EEE Parts Part 1: Parts Management: This document addresses the key elements for an EEE parts management programme for space systems and acts as a baseline for developing, implementing, validating, and evaluating a space parts management programme.
6. IS 18329 Part 2: 2023 Space Systems – Electrical Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) Parts Part 2 Control Programme Requirements: This document establishes technical guidelines for developing and documenting an electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts control program, in order to assure that the parts used in the flight hardware are acceptable and possess adequate functional, radiation and reliability characteristics to meet the system requirements. This document identifies a set of management guidelines for dealing with space systems engineering activities and defines the minimum existing processes on the subject.
7. IS 18330: 2023 Space Systems – Definition of the Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Their Criteria of Assessment: This standard defines Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). It is applicable primarily to space system hardware.
8. IS 18331: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management – Requirements Management: This document provides the standard processes for requirements management within the product lifecycle management, and a set of rules for requirements management activities to be implemented by the actors (customers and suppliers), including rules derived from best practices.
9. IS 18333: 2023 Space Systems – Functional and Technical Specifications: This document provides an overview of the respective purposes and positions of functional and technical specifications, their required contents, and the process for developing these documents.
10. IS 18334: 2023 Space Projects – Programme Management – Dependability Assurance Requirements: This standard presents the requirements for a dependability (reliability, availability and maintainability) assurance programme for space projects. It defines the dependability requirements for space products as well as for system functions implemented in software, and the interaction between hardware and software.
11. IS 18335: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management – Non-Conformance Control System: This standard specifies a control system for non-conformances related to any product for space systems, such as electrical, electronic, and electromechanical components and software, as well as operational non-conformances and anomalies. This standard is applicable throughout: a) procurement, production, qualification, integration, and test; b) acceptance, delivery, and transportation; c) launch preparation and flight or launch readiness; d) operational validation or qualification; e) operation; f) refurbishment.
12. IS 18336: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management – Quality Assurance Requirements: This standard defines the quality assurance (QA) requirements for the establishment and implementation of QA programmes for projects covering mission definition, design, development, production and operations of space systems, including disposal.
13. IS 18337: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management – Information and Documentation Management: This document describes the processes and the requirements for the management of information/documentation within space programmes and projects.
14. IS 18338: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management and Quality – Vocabulary: This document provides definitions of all common terms used in the area of space systems and operations for programme management and quality.
15. IS 18339: 2023 Space Systems – Programme Management – Project Organization: This document addresses the following: a) responsibility and authority of the actors (all actors, customer, supplier), b) interrelations between the actors (meetings, action monitoring, reporting, assessments and audits), c) information technologies, and d) project organization documentation.
16. IS 18346: 2023 Space Systems – Off the Shelf Item Utilization: This document contains requirements and guidelines for the utilization of off-the-shelf (OTS) items, their selection, acquisition, integration, qualification and implementation related to a space product or system.

Conclusion

As the Indian regulators look to create a competitive space market in India, IN-SPACe is bound to release more standards to make sure the Indian companies operate at the top level. It is important for all emerging space companies to adhere to these standards to protect their finances, reputation along with the stakeholders involved.