Core Rulebook 2008 Spacecraft Design Electronics

[snrdg121408]

Hello AnotherDibert,

From what I have heard it is not so much a question of making space-worthy electronics, the real problem is testing and certifying the components as space-worthy. The computer and smartphone industries order components in the billions per year, the space industry might order a few hundred...

Of the billions of components ordered by the computer and smartphone industries only a few hundred have to meet or exceed the testing and certification criteria required to be considered space worthy or up to military specification requirements.

Any component not meeting the requirements are still good for use in other areas.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

There is a similar thing going on today in the Aviation Industry. For a component to be certified for use on an airplane, it has to go through a LOT of expensive and laborious testing to get that necessary certifications. This drives the cost of parts up quite a bit. There is a joke, that if you want that FAA approval, add a Zero to the price... Not too far off in some cases.

Also, even for larger, bulk items, there are additional costs. While the hulls of most planes are made of aluminum, they are made of Aviation Aluminum, with specific requirements and cladding. Alcoa and other aluminum manufacturers produce orders of magnitude more aluminum for Coke cans than they do aircraft aluminum, so the cost per pound of Aircraft aluminum is quite a bit higher than the cost of a pound of 'soda pop' grade aluminum. There can even be supply problems, where the amount being produced in the world doesn't keep up with demand at times, driving the cost up even higher.

 

[snrdg121408]

Afternoon PST Rikki Tikki Traveller,

There is a similar thing going on today in the Aviation Industry. For a component to be certified for use on an airplane, it has to go through a LOT of expensive and laborious testing to get that necessary certifications. This drives the cost of parts up quite a bit. There is a joke, that if you want that FAA approval, add a Zero to the price... Not too far off in some cases.

Also, even for larger, bulk items, there are additional costs. While the hulls of most planes are made of aluminum, they are made of Aviation Aluminum, with specific requirements and cladding. Alcoa and other aluminum manufacturers produce orders of magnitude more aluminum for Coke cans than they do aircraft aluminum, so the cost per pound of Aircraft aluminum is quite a bit higher than the cost of a pound of 'soda pop' grade aluminum. There can even be supply problems, where the amount being produced in the world doesn't keep up with demand at times, driving the cost up even higher.

In the movie "Independence Day", the thing about the expensive toilet seats and hammers is only partially true, the majority goes into paying for the milspec components too.

 

[Condottiere]

Most of that paid for Area Fifty One.

 

[snrdg121408]

Evening PST Condottiere,

Most of that paid for Area Fifty One.

That was what I was trying to say, thank you for clarifying my incomplete thoughts. Wait a minute are you a Zho?;-)

 

[Condottiere]

I'm hoping that the F-35 programme is also paying for the black budget.

 

[snrdg121408]

Hello Condottiere,

I'm hoping that the F-35 programme is also paying for the black budget.

Something had to take over from the Osprey, Seawolf, and a number of other projects.