Space microsystems and reliability: The contribution of behavioral modeling

In order to reduce the weight and enhance the performances of space systems, it would be very interesting to use microsystems/MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems). Before using them, it is necessary to assure their reliability under the particular harsh environmental conditions (radiation, temperature, …) present in a space environment. The development of new reliability approaches is necessary to do this reliability assessment. We are working on a reliability approach that aims to assess the reliability of MEMS components by means of simulation. In order to apply the methodology we have developed a virtual prototype, i. e. a system model, of a part of a launch vehicle’s measurement system as well as a model of a commercial MEMS accelerometer, the ADXL150. The accelerometer model takes into consideration the influence of environmental constraints such as humidity.