The Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) certified as an ESA ECSS-Q-ST-20-07C test centre
The European Space Agency (ESA) has just signed the certification of the Centre Spatial de Liège as the agency's official test centre until the end of 2022. The ECSS-Q-ST-20-07C certificate (Quality and safety assurance for space test centers) is an additional recognition for the CSL which is in line with the continuity of previous certifications it may have received from ESA. This certification will also enable the CSL to sign partnerships with major space industry players.
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t the end of January Britta Schade, Director of Product Assurance and Safety at the European Space Agency signed the certification of the Centre Spatial de Liège in accordance with the ECSS-Q-ST-20-07C (Quality and safety assurance for space test centres). This certificate, valid until the end of the year 2022, covers all the test facilities, i.e. the five "FOCAL" tanks and the two vibration test platforms (shakers).
The ECSS-Q-ST-20-07C standard is the logical continuation of the former "ESA Test Centre" recognition and the ECSS-Q-ST-20-07A standard which, for its upgrade to version "C", required prior recognition of the quality management system in accordance with the requirements of the EN 9100 aeronautical standards instead of ISO9000.
Thus, in addition to the 280 acquired requirements of ISO 9000, the CSL provided answers to the 140 additional requirements imposed for the EN 9100 series, which were prepared and validated by the IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Group) of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). This represents two years of work by the Quality team and CSL staff to ensure that the centre can adapt to requirements that are essentially calibrated for industrial production.
Several audits from the European Space Agency completed the certification of the quality management system, also covering cleanliness management, safety, project organisation, configuration management and calibration. ESA paid particular attention to the set of continuous improvement tools put in place following the various risk analyses carried out by CSL's quality department.
The recognition of the high quality of the Centre Spatial de Liège’s services through this certificate obviously means much more than just recognition by the European Space Agency," explains Emmanuel Janssen, Director of the CSL's Quality and Safety Department. It is also a key to access the major industrial partners in the space world such as Airbus S&D, Thales, Léonardo, OHB, etc. It is also proof of the ability of the Liège Space Centre to meet the ever-increasing demands of the industrial world which, with the advent of Space 4.0, has become an indispensable partner for tomorrow's projects. »
Contact
Emmanuel JANSSEN – Centre Spatial de Liège - Head of Quality and Security / Belgian NSO Project Manager
