How can you verify and validate satellite systems according to industry standards?

1 What are V&V?

V&V are two distinct but related concepts that involve different types of testing and evaluation. Verification is the process of checking that a system conforms to its design and meets the specified criteria. Validation is the process of confirming that a system fulfills its intended use and satisfies the stakeholder needs. Both verification and validation can be performed at different levels of system decomposition, such as subsystems, components, interfaces, and software.

2 Why are V&V important for satellite systems?

Satellite systems are exposed to harsh and unpredictable environments, such as radiation, thermal cycles, vibrations, and orbital perturbations. They also have limited opportunities for maintenance, repair, or modification once they are launched. Therefore, any failure or anomaly in a satellite system can have severe consequences for the mission objectives, the safety of other spacecraft, and the cost and reputation of the system developers and operators. V&V can help reduce the risks and uncertainties associated with satellite systems by ensuring that they are designed, built, and operated according to the relevant standards and regulations.

4 How to plan and prepare for V&V for satellite systems?

Before conducting V&V for satellite systems, it is important to plan and prepare several aspects. This should include defining the objectives, scope, criteria, and methods for each system element and level based on the system requirements, specifications, design, and architecture. Additionally, the V&V plan, schedule, budget, and resources should be established; this should involve the roles and responsibilities of the V&V team, stakeholders, and external parties. It is also necessary to identify and manage any V&V risks, assumptions, dependencies, and constraints; this includes potential sources of uncertainty, error, and failure along with mitigation and contingency measures. Finally, procedures, protocols, and tools must be developed and documented; this covers test cases, scenarios, data, and metrics that will be used to perform and evaluate the V&V activities.