Spaceworthiness,[1][2]oraerospaceworthiness,[3] is a property, or ability of a spacecraft to perform to its design objectives and navigate successfully through both the space environment and the atmosphere as a part of a journey to or from space. The concept may less commonly be extended to other devices, such as spacesuits, which are designed to spend some amount of time exposed to space.
As in airworthiness, the spaceworthiness of a spacecraft depends on at least three basic components:[4][5]
Spaceworthiness is typically maintained through a maintenance program and / or a systemofanalysis, diagnosis and managementofhealth and reliability of the spacecraft.[8][9][10][11][12]
Spaceworthiness of launch vehicles and spacecraft is an extension of the concepts of roadworthiness for cars, railworthiness for trains, seaworthiness for boats and ships, and airworthiness for aircraft.
