Designing for Single-Point Failure in Space: Lessons from the Mars Exploration Rover IDD

This March, join us and Lat51 Space Systems for an insightful, live webinar and gain actionable strategies to enhance engineering practices and foster innovation in the face of demanding operational constraints.

📅 March 6 🕛 2pm GMT

Abstract

In the unforgiving environment of space, the stakes of engineering decisions are extraordinary. The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) program exemplifies this challenge, with many complex subsystems requiring robust designs to mitigate single-point failures. Among these subsystems, the Instrument Deployment Device (IDD) serves as a compelling case study, illustrating how stringent requirements, extensive testing, and precise integration can ensure operational success under extreme constraints.

This webinar explores how the MER IDD’s design and development processes offer valuable lessons that transcend industries. The session focuses on risk mitigation strategies, design-for-reliability principles, and the application of scalable software solutions that enable teams to transition seamlessly across Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). Insights will be drawn from the IDD’s journey—from early-stage prototypes to flight-ready hardware—highlighting how adaptable platforms can reduce development cycles and maintain system integrity across evolving requirements.

Whether the focus is on aerospace, automotive, or other highly regulated domains, the principles behind the MER IDD’s success underscore the importance of comprehensive testing, modular design, and unified software toolchains.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand strategies used to design for single-point failure in high-stakes subsystems.

• Gain insights into risk mitigation and engineering execution under extreme conditions.

• Explore how reusable software tools can accelerate development from TRL1-TRL 10across evolving hardware platforms.

Let the MER IDD case study inspire new approaches to reliability, scalability, and success in mission-critical projects.

Speakers