ISO 5461:2025
(Main)Space systems — Failure reporting, analysis and corrective action (FRACA) process requirements
Space systems — Failure reporting, analysis and corrective action (FRACA) process requirements
This document provides criteria for planning or rating a failure reporting, analysis and corrective action (FRACA) process, with regard to its capability to collect, process, assess, and eliminate or control failures, in a cost-effective manner that is commensurate with the product safety or mission severity category and life cycle systems engineering product-critical characteristics data. This document is applicable for managing failures that occur to space, launch and ground control systems and equipment after qualification. The requirements in this document apply to all stakeholders that contribute to the design, analysis, test, production and operation of space systems, as required in ISO 14300-2.
Systèmes spatiaux — Exigences relatives au processus de notification des défaillances, d'analyse et d'action corrective (FRACA)
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
International
Standard
ISO 5461
First edition
Space systems — Failure reporting,
2025-05
analysis and corrective action
(FRACA) process requirements
Systèmes spatiaux — Exigences relatives au processus de
notification des défaillances, d'analyse et d'action corrective
(FRACA)
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions .1
3.2 Abbreviated terms .3
4 General requirements . 4
4.1 Overview of FRACA process .4
4.2 Failure reporting .5
4.3 Failure verification .5
4.4 Failure analysis .5
4.5 Corrective action .6
5 Tailoring requirements . 7
5.1 General .7
5.2 Level 1 FRACA process .8
5.2.1 FRACA process management and resources authorization .8
5.2.2 Identification or determination of FRACA process requirements .8
5.2.3 Development or reuse of a FRACA procedure .9
5.2.4 Implementation and coordination of a FRACA process .10
5.2.5 Identification, documentation, reporting and assessment of residual failure risk .11
5.2.6 Implementation of approved corrective action(s) .11
5.2.7 Verification and or validation of corrective actions and failure events .11
5.3 Level 2 FRACA process . 12
5.3.1 Documentation and approval of a FRACA plan . 12
5.3.2 Implementation and coordination of a FRACA process . 12
5.3.3 Verification of reported failures modes . 12
5.4 Level 3 FRACA process . 12
5.4.1 Implementation and coordination of a FRACA process . 12
5.4.2 Failure analyses, corrective actions, and failure trending . 13
5.5 Level 4 FRACA process . 13
5.5.1 FRACA process audit . 13
5.5.2 FRACA process improvement . 13
5.6 Level 5 FRACA process .14
5.6.1 FRACA process continuous improvement .14
5.6.2 FRACA training and model-based systems engineering integration .14
5.6.3 Reliability development growth testing support .14
Annex A (Informative) Supplier's integrated FRACA process .16
Annex B (Informative) Product safety or mission severity category definitions . 17
Annex C (Informative) Qualitative probability level criteria . 19
Annex D (Informative) Notional shop replaceable unit (SRU) failure mode distribution .21
Bibliography .22
iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 20, Aircraft and space vehicles, Subcommittee
SC 14, Space systems and operations.
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iv
Introduction
The failure reporting, analysis and corrective action (FRACA) process is a closed-loop process that manages
faults, failures and anomalies of deliverable hardware, software, firmware, testing or monitoring devices
and maintenance or inspection equipment, which occur after qualification.
This document is a tier-three standard within the ISO TC 20/SC 14 hierarchical framework of space systems
requirements, for the following reasons:
a) ISO 14300-2 (product assurance) requires that system safety, dependability and quality assurance
programme be implemented during the space system life cycle. ISO 14620-1 (system safety), ISO 23460
(dependability), and ISO 27025 (quality assurance) are tier-two standards under ISO 14300-2, which is a
tier-one standard.
b) ISO 14620-1 requires that accidents and safety-critical nonconformances which occur during production,
operations and disposal phases in the space system life cycle be reported, investigated and mitigated.
ISO 23460 requires that reliability-critical failures which occur during the operations phase in the
space system life cycle be reported, analysed and subjected to risk reduction. ISO 27025 requires that
nonconformances which occur during the operations phase in the space system life cycle be reported,
reviewed and dispositioned via a corrective feedback loop. This document and ISO 23461 are tier-three
standards under ISO 14620-1, ISO 23460, and ISO 27025.
The FRACA process as defined in this document and the nonconformance management process as defined in
ISO 23461 are often assumed to provide overlapping functions during the space system life cycle. However,
the FRACA process and nonconformance management process provide separate and unique functions.
The FRACA process is first applied by the supplier to manage verified failures and anomalies of qualified
hardware and software during production acceptance testing. After delivery and deployment of the space
system, the space system operator can team-up with the supplier, via an SOW or MOA, to apply the FRACA
process during the operations and disposal phases of the space system life cycle.
The nonconformance management process is applied by the supplier to manage verified nonconformances
to requirements, from the time of the space system’s conceptual development through its delivery. It is
important to note that not all verified failures or anomalies are nonconformances and vice versa. When
the root cause of a failure or an anomaly during qualification testing is found to be an incorrect design,
fabrication, or performance requirement, then a corrective action should be determined and implemented
by the FRACA process. When the root cause of a failure or an anomaly during operation is found to be
an operator-induced damage, then a corrective action should be determined and implemented by the
nonconformance management process.
As in the case of the FRACA process, after delivery and deployment of the space system, the space system
operator can team-up with the supplier, via an SOW or MOA, to apply the nonconformance management
process during the operations and disposal phases of the space system life cycle.
v
International Standard ISO 5461:2025(en)
Space systems — Failure reporting, analysis and corrective
action (FRACA) process requirements
1 Scope
This document provides criteria for planning or rating a failure reporting, analysis and corrective action
(FRACA) process, with rega
...
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