Space station and spacecraft, including satellites and launchers, cannot be repaired easily once they are in outer space. This situation is same for software to be on-boarded on spacecraft, being difficult to modify or change after launch. However, high reliability is always demanded for spacecraft software, as software defects may lead to a fatal break down for the spacecraft. Our team has implemented “Software Independent Verification and Validation (Independent Verification and Validation: IV&V)” as an initiative.

As an effort to achieve high reliability of software, we have been implementing activities, such as software Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) and “software development process improvement” in more than 20 JAXA projects, and have discovered challenges that influence mission accomplishments. We have contributed to the software quality improvement by utilizing the cutting-edge model testing techniques of the industrial world along with the technology of specification languages and such, being compatible with various software development formats, not to arise problems at the development process, in addition to discovering potential challenges.

Recent embedded systems and infrastructure systems are recognized as the basis to accomplish national and human safety. Assurance of high reliability in those systems is one of the most critical issues to increase safety in the whole social system. Based on the experienced studies and practices concerning high reliability and safety in the field of space systems established by Resarch Unit 3 in JAXA, our "High Reliability Software System Verification Laboratory" is focused on research into software verification methodologies to achieve high reliability and safety in software that must function properly under extreme environmental conditions.