- Agree the component class with your project before you search: it decides which evidence you need.
- Upscreened COTS save cost and time, but move the test effort and the risk to you.
- Ask for lot-specific evidence early, and buy only through authorised channels.
Why space parts are different
A part that works on the bench can fail in orbit. Launch vibration and shock, thermal cycling, vacuum (outgassing) and radiation all stress components in ways ground hardware never sees, and nothing can be repaired once the spacecraft has flown.
Radiation alone has three effects to plan for: total ionising dose (TID), which slowly degrades parts over the mission; single-event effects (SEE), where one particle can flip a bit, latch up or destroy a device; and displacement damage, which matters most for optoelectronics and some bipolar parts.
That is why space programmes select, screen, qualify and document their EEE parts against standards instead of buying from a catalogue. For sourcing, the consequences are simple: the supplier base is small, the documentation counts as much as the price, and lead times are long, so procurement has to start early.
The standards that frame your choice
- ECSS-Q-ST-60C (Rev.3, 2022) sets the requirements for selecting, procuring and controlling EEE components on European projects, with three component classes: class 1 carries the highest assurance, class 3 the lowest.
- ECSS-Q-ST-60-13C Rev.1 (2022) sets the requirements for using commercial (COTS) EEE components in space.
- ESCC (European Space Components Coordination) publishes the European generic and detail specifications and the ESCC qualified parts and manufacturers lists (QPL, QML). The European Preferred Parts List (EPPL) lists parts recommended for European space projects, including some that are not ESCC-qualified.
- The US equivalents projects often accept are MIL-PRF-38535 QML Class V (or Class Y for non-hermetic packages) for integrated circuits, MIL-PRF-38534 Class K for hybrids and MIL-PRF-19500 JANS for discretes. Acceptance is always decided by your project.
- Your project tracks every part on its Declared Components List (DCL). A part that is not qualified to the required level needs a Part Approval Document (PAD) before it can fly.
Choosing a quality level
NewSpace missions increasingly use commercial parts with extra screening and radiation testing. It can cut cost and lead time, but it moves the test effort and the risk to you. Agree the level with your product assurance team before you start sourcing.
| Qualified for space | Upscreened COTS | Plain COTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | ESCC, QML-V, Class K, JANS | Commercial or automotive parts, screened to ECSS-Q-ST-60-13 | Commercial parts as bought |
| Evidence you get | Qualification, screening and lot acceptance data, full traceability | Manufacturer data, plus the screening and lot tests you or a test house run | Datasheet and reliability report |
| Your test effort | Low | High: radiation, screening, DPA, lot homogeneity | Up to you, and so is the risk |
| Lead time | Often several months | Weeks, plus the test campaign | Short |
| Typical use | Long or critical missions | LEO, constellations, shorter missions | Demonstrators, CubeSats, accepted risk |
The evidence to ask for
- A certificate of conformity, with lot and date code traceability back to the manufacturer.
- The qualification report or QPL listing, and the screening and lot acceptance data for your lot.
- Radiation reports (TID, SEE) for the same lot, or at least the same process, with the test conditions.
- Destructive physical analysis (DPA) results where your project requires them.
- Outgassing data for materials and finishes, and the finish itself: ECSS-Q-ST-60C and most programmes prohibit pure tin (less than 3 % lead) because of tin whiskers.
- For bipolar linear parts, TID data from low-dose-rate tests, because of enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity (ELDRS).
- The export classification of the part, and its lifecycle status (active, not recommended for new designs, end of life).
Building a European shortlist
- Write the requirement once: electrical, environmental, radiation (TID and SEE) and the component class.
- Map manufacturers, authorised distributors and test houses in Europe first, then elsewhere.
- Check the export classification early: one ITAR part can constrain the whole spacecraft.
- Compare candidates on fit, evidence available, flight heritage and lead time, not on price alone.
- Keep a second source for every line on the critical path, and check that it is not the same die under another name.
Where Procureezy fits
Procureezy helps with the search and the comparison: it reads your spec, searches the open web for suppliers and compares each candidate against your requirements, recording the evidence suppliers publish, such as EN 9100 certification, ITAR-free claims and flight heritage. Qualification and part approval stay with your product assurance team.