SMC-S-003 (2015), AFSC SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS CENTER STANDARD: QUALITY SPACE AND LAUNCH REQUIREMENTS ADDENDUM TO AS9100C(08-MAY-2015)[SUPERSEDING SMC-S-003 (2008)] [S/S BY SMC-t-009]

SMC-S-003 (2015), AFSC SPACE AND MISSILE SYSTEMS CENTER STANDARD: QUALITY SPACE AND LAUNCH REQUIREMENTS ADDENDUM TO AS9100C(08-MAY-2015)[SUPERSEDING SMC-S-003 (2008)] [S/S BY SMC-t-009]., Because of the highly complex nature of satellites and launch vehicles, coupled with the inability to repair vehicles on orbit, stringent quality and reliability requirements are levied on contractors to ensure that products will meet their intended lifecycle. This standard assumes the contractor is certified to AS9100. AS9100 provides the requirements of �what� should be included in a Quality Management System (QMS) suitable for the production of aerospace product. This standard incorporates best practices of the space industry and therefore provides many of the requirements to supplement AS9100 for high reliability space programs. The requirements of this standard either in full or as appropriately tailored shall be levied on prime contractors, subcontractors, and their sub-tier suppliers of space and launch vehicles. As this standard provides the �how-to�s� of implementing the standards ISO9001 and AS9100 but does not duplicate the requirements of those standards, it is preferred that subcontractors/suppliers be certified to the latest version of ISO9001 or AS9100. It is understood that not all suppliers may be compliant to AS9100 or perhaps even to ISO 9001. Section 7 provides requirements for selecting and monitoring the performance of a supplier. Certification to these standards is encouraged, but will depend on the product being supplied, uniqueness of the capability of the supplier, costs of acquiring certification, and the criticality of the work. A supplier that is not certified increases risk and the supplier requirements in Section 7 become even more important and will be more difficult to enforce. In the event the subcontractor/supplier is not certified to ISO9001 or AS9100, the contractor shall focus on obtaining conforming material and tailor this document for the supplier as required. The contractor shall assume the responsibility for satisfying ISO9001 or AS9100 requirements for purchased materials and parts from a supplier not certified to either standard. This may be accomplished through record keeping, additional testing, purchasing documentation, contractor second party audits, etc.