Roadmap for Electromagnetic Compatibility Qualification of Payloads for Space Commercialization.

A major challenge that new space commercialization companies are facing is the qualification of their space-based payloads for electromagnetic compatibility during launch operations. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) qualification is typically a lengthy and expensive procedure from the point of view of alternative launch providers, who typically lack the dedicated expertise as well as historical and often proprietary databases of legacy vehicles. When a payload is completed, it is usually submitted for EMC qualification to a testing laboratory that provides a report stating whether or not the payload complies with required standards. A negative result typically provides little insight to the alternate launch provide in terms of what corrective measures and design modifications are required to make the payload pass the EMC tests on a subsequent iteration. For this reason, it is of great value to a customer to have better insight into the EMC qualification procedure. The roadmap for EMC qualification presented in this study is intended to help guide an alternative launch provider through the payload design and qualification process. Furthermore, the roadmap presented here will show options for performing preliminary tests and how to iterate the payload design to increase the likelihood of successful EMC compliance testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]