Tasks and Objectives of Product Surveillance ARIANE

Launch Pad in Courou

Tasks

• Independent industrial quality control performance according to the 4-eyes-principle concerning the contracts compliance with regard to the ARIANE delivery program on behalf of ESA/ARIANESPACE/CNES.
  
  
• Preparation, update, and realization of an ESA/ARIANESPACE/CNES-agreed consistent monitoring program, which is detailed in specific surveillance plans. The main components are:
  
  
  • Integrated rocket stages
  • Rocket engines
  • Solid fuel rocket case
  • Light construction structure
  • Carbon fibre compound components.

The German share for deliveries is manufactured and monitored at 4 different locations:

• Augsburg
• Bremen
• Lampoldshausen, and
• Munich.
  
  
• Reporting

The Product Surveillance Team reports periodically and with special incidents immediately to their client ESA/ARIANESPACE/CNES and to the process owners (supervised industry). Product Surveillance Management analyzes the outpost reports and accounts periodically and in special cases respectively firsthand to the Head of DLR-Quality and Product Assurance Department.

The Product Surveillance Team is obliged to privacy of its observations towards third parties.

Objectives

• Technical reliability assurance and improvement of ARIANE-launchers as well as reduction of production risks in space industry.
  
• Identification and prevention of human error and system mistakes in quality management conduct and in the industrial processes flow in the context of development, manufacturing, and testing of ARIANE space components including serial production.
  
• Fast initiation of failure-corrective and failure-preventive actions in cooperation with the industrial quality department and, if necessary, with ESA/ARIANESPACE/CNES.