Identification of Intra and Inter Subsystems Failure Propagation Path for Incorporation of Preventive Measures in A Spacecraft - A Case Study

All failure modes down to individual part level needs to be addressed for a space system as there is a great deal of concern not only with the probability of failure of parts but also with the potential consequences of different modes of failure. It is more so in space related systems as they are non repairable after launch. Towards this, Failure mode effects analysis needs to be carried out at system level for a spacecraft to identify intra and inter subsystems failure propagation paths to incorporate preventive measures in the design. A case study on interplanetary mission is provided in this paper to explain the significance and necessity of system level failure mode effects analysis. This paper critically addressed the effects of a failure on built-in autonomy and fault tolerant design of interplanetary mission considered for the case study.