Are COTS Components Ready For Space?

After decades of viewing MIL-SPECs as the gold standard for qualifying and screening parts for viability in space, NASA has recently changed course, and is adopting commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts as an option for a variety of space applications.

Burgeoning changes in industry trends, a drive to remain competitive, and the desire to guide budget-constrained missions pushed the organization to commission a NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) study to evaluate the reliability of COTS parts. Upon completion of the study, NASA aims to create a consistent set of requirements at the agency level to minimize risk and impact of part selection/usage on the performance of NASA spaceflight technology.