PREFERRED
RELIABILITY
PRACTICES
PRACTICE NO. PD-ED-1249
PAGE 1 of 5
APRIL 1996
ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE
(ESD) CONTROL IN FLIGHT
HARDWARE
GODDARD
SPACE FLIGHT
CENTER
Practice:
Apply an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Control Program to all spaceflight projects to ensure that
ESD susceptible hardware is protected from damage due to ESD.
Benefit:
This ESD Control Practice significantly enhances mission reliability by protecting susceptible
flight and critical flight support electronic parts and related hardware from damage and/or
degradation caused by ESD and Induction Polarization Charge (IPC) during the prelaunch phases
of the mission.
Programs That Certified Useage:
All Flight Programs Managed By the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Are Required To Use
This Practice.
Center To Contact For More Information:
Goddard Space Flight Center
Implementation Method:
NHB 5300.4 (3L) "Requirements for Electrostatic Discharge Control " (Reference 1) specifies
the NASA requirements for ESD avoidance and control. It describes basic considerations and
requirements for ESD control programs including responsibilities of NASA Installations for
invoking ESD control programs. GSFC Document No. P-303-840 "Electrostatic Control
Program" (Reference 2) describes the ESD control program that has been established by GSFC
for its spaceflight projects. The GSFC program incorporates the ESD requirements of
Reference 1.
The Reference 1 and 2 documents as well as this practice do not include ESD control
requirements and programs for electrically initiated explosive devices. Special requirements for
the control of these devices exist at the various NASA centers.
This ESD Control Practice describes the procedures and controls whereby
ESD sensitive components and devices are received, distributed, assembled,
disassembled, handled, tested, repaired, and stored at GSFC. This practice
applies to spacecraft, launch vehicles, mission peculiar equipment,
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