Flight heritage refers to the proven performance record of a component, subsystem, or system from prior successful operation in a space environment. As the space economy continues to expand rapidly, flight heritage is playing an increasingly vital role.
For companies across the space industry value chain, from satellite manufacturers to launch providers to operators, flight heritage offers tangible technical, programmatic, and economic benefits. At the same time, reliance on flight heritage introduces risks that must be carefully managed. As the industry evolves, new approaches are emerging to balance heritage and innovation.
The Value of Flight Heritage
The use of flight-proven components can provide greater confidence that systems will function properly in the harsh conditions of space. Thorough testing is conducted on the ground, but the space environment induces stresses and operates in ways that can only be fully validated in orbit. Flight heritage demonstrates that a component can survive launch, the vacuum of space, radiation, thermal cycling, and other aspects of the operating environment.
In addition, flight heritage means established manufacturing processes, supply chains, documentation, and personnel with direct experience working with the hardware. This can simplify integration and reduce risk, cost, and schedule compared to incorporating new technologies. Flight heritage is a key criterion that investors and customers consider when evaluating the viability of systems.
The benefits apply across multiple areas:
Technical Risk Reduction
- Validates performance in actual operating environments
- Reduces likelihood of failure modes
- Proven reliability and lifetime
Programmatic Confidence
- Established manufacturing processes and supply chain
- Available documentation and engineering data
- Experienced personnel and support infrastructure
Economic Factors
- Potentially lower cost
- Shorter development schedules
- Increased investor and customer confidence
Consequently, flight heritage has become a standard requirement for many space missions. Customers frequently mandate the use of specific components with flight histories meeting defined criteria.
Challenges and Considerations
However, reliance on flight heritage does entail risks and limitations that must be addressed:
Technological Obsolescence
The rapid advancement of space technologies means heritage components may become outdated. More performant and efficient options emerge that heritage systems cannot match.
Limited Applicability
Flight heritage applies to the specific environment and configuration in which a component was previously operated. New missions may induce different operating conditions, mechanical loads, thermal profiles, radiation exposures, or other differences that could impact functionality.
Loss of Expertise
Personnel and engineering knowledge essential to heritage systems may dissipate over time. As original designers and manufacturers retire or switch jobs, their critical expertise can disappear.
Diminished Innovation
Over-reliance on heritage can inhibit new development, limiting performance improvements, efficiency gains, and other innovations.
Balancing Heritage and Innovation
The space sector is responding to these issues by evolving methodologies and philosophies around heritage and innovation.
New standards have emerged for qualifying heritage systems. Components are rigorously analyzed to determine modifications necessary to meet mission requirements. Environments are simulated to validate performance.
Some operators are shifting towards new high-performance satellites designed for frequent replacement. New systems leverage the latest technologies while heritage satellites in parallel provide continuity. As the heritage platforms are phased out, they are replaced by next-generation assets.
Open system architectures allow seamless integration of new technologies with heritage infrastructure. Components can be upgraded incrementally without system redesigns.
Other approaches utilize different classes of satellites. Large, complex satellites for critical capabilities maximize heritage to ensure reliability. Small satellites with short lifetimes then serve as testbeds for new innovations.
Hybrid strategies also combine legacy and emerging companies. Established providers supply proven heritage systems while partnering with startups developing cutting-edge solutions.
The Future of Flight Heritage
The expanding space economy will continue relying on flight heritage while pushing innovation ever-further. Heritage offers reliability for crucial capabilities but cannot restrain advancement.
Emerging solutions aim to deliver the best of both worlds – proven components integrated with new technologies and design approaches. Hybrid satellites combine legacy subsystems with upgraded payloads and software-defined architectures. New manufacturing techniques recreate heritage designs with modern materials and production methods.
The coming years will strike a balance between leveraging flight heritage and pioneering innovations. Flight-proven systems provide a foundation enabling cutting-edge advancements to flourish.
