How do I ensure my maneuver planning with conjunction analysis software is compliant with mission assurance requirements?

To ensure maneuver planning with conjunction analysis software is compliant with mission assurance requirements, treat the software as one part of a controlled safety process—not as the decision-maker.

Here’s a practical approach:

1. Start from the mission assurance requirements

Identify the governing requirements and thresholds for your mission, such as:

• miss distance / collision probability thresholds
• maneuver decision timelines
• screening cadence
• operator review and approval rules
• required data sources and ephemeris quality
• documentation and audit trail expectations

Map each requirement to a specific step in your planning workflow.

2. Verify the software is approved for its intended use

Make sure the conjunction analysis tool has been:

• validated for your orbit regime and mission type
• calibrated against known cases or higher-fidelity references
• approved by your organization or mission assurance authority
• used within its documented limitations

If the software is not formally qualified, use it only as decision support, not as the sole basis for maneuver execution.

3. Use high-quality, traceable inputs

Compliance often depends on input integrity. Ensure:

• OD solutions come from the approved source
• covariance and uncertainty data are current and consistent
• screening catalogs and conjunction data are from authoritative providers
• time systems, frames, and gravity models are consistent
• all inputs are version-controlled and traceable

Poor inputs can make even a correct tool produce noncompliant results.

4. Establish a documented maneuver decision process

Define and follow a repeatable process that includes:

• initial screening
• secondary verification or independent check
• risk assessment using approved metrics
• maneuver design review
• pre-execution approval
• post-maneuver assessment

This should specify who can recommend, approve, and authorize a maneuver.

5. Include independent verification

Mission assurance usually expects some form of independent review, such as:

• separate analyst review
• alternate software cross-check
• comparison with another ephemeris or screening source
• independent reproduction of critical probability calculations

For high-risk events, do not rely on a single tool or single analyst.

6. Control assumptions and margins

Document and review:

• maneuver execution error budgets
• navigation uncertainty growth
• covariance realism
• time-of-closest-approach sensitivity
• burn dispersions and planned delta-v margins

A compliant maneuver plan should show that residual risk remains within acceptable limits after the maneuver.

7. Maintain full traceability

Keep records of:

• conjunction messages and screening outputs
• analyst interpretations
• assumptions used
• model versions and database versions
• approval signatures or electronic authorizations
• final maneuver command products

This is essential for auditability and post-event review.

8. Validate the maneuver plan against operational constraints

Confirm the planned maneuver complies with:

• attitude constraints
• comm windows
• power/thermal limits
• payload safety rules
• propellant and contingency reserves
• no-go periods or protected mission phases

A collision-avoidance maneuver that violates another mission rule is not mission-assurance compliant.

9. Conduct pre- and post-maneuver checks

Before execution:

• confirm updated conjunction screening
• verify no new higher-risk conjunctions were introduced
• validate command loads and timelines

After execution:

• confirm achieved delta-v and resulting orbit
• update OD and covariance
• re-screen the trajectory
• document closure of the event

10. Align with formal standards and internal procedures

Depending on your organization, this may involve:

• NASA/DoD/agency mission assurance policies
• ISO/ECSS or internal safety standards
• operator-specific flight rules
• quality management and software assurance processes

If a standard or flight rule applies, use it as the baseline and document any waivers or deviations.

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A simple compliance checklist

Before approving a maneuver, ask:

• Is the conjunction assessment based on approved, current data?
• Is the software qualified and used within limits?
• Has the result been independently verified?
• Are assumptions and uncertainties documented?
• Does the maneuver keep residual risk below threshold?
• Are all mission constraints satisfied?
• Is there a complete approval and audit trail?

If the answer to any of these is unclear, the maneuver should not be considered mission-assurance compliant yet.

If you want, I can turn this into a mission assurance compliance checklist, a SOP template, or a review matrix for conjunction-driven maneuvers.