Payload-Agnostic Fault-Isolation for Microgravity Platforms

Abstract

As commercial spaceflight expands, the timeline required for bespoke payload safety certification remains a critical bottleneck. This thesis introduces a payload-agnostic verification framework that extends the principle of containerization to internal microgravity interfaces. Safety is managed by a pre-certified container, implementing fault management and scientific support functions. Compliance is verified using universal test cases parameterized by symbolic variables and validated through surrogate payloads. The final output, an Admittance Matrix defining ten functional budgets, allows payload developers to reduce environmental testing efforts and achieve flight admission via inspections rather than tests. Engineering application studies using the ISS EXPRESS Rack and a 3U CubeSat demonstrate how this framework can help transforms the orbital environment into a standardized, more accessible laboratory.