Verification & Validation on OCO-3: A case study of V&V for ISS missions

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (000-3) payload will complete final Assembly Integration and Test operations in early 2018. Concurrently, the payload will undergo a suite of Verification and Validation (V&V) activities in order to demonstrate that the payload has met the project requirements. These activities will also demonstrate launch readiness and ultimately mission readiness to quantify variations in the column averaged atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) dry air mole fraction, XCO2 from the International Space Station (ISS). Operating from the ISS has its own set of advantages and challenges. One of the aspects of operating on the ISS includes going through a distinctive verification and validation process unique to ISS payloads. This process includes the use of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Verification of Engineering Requirements - Interface for Tracking, Approval and Submission (VERITAS) system to facilitate multiple center interactions and review of interface requirements. In this paper we will discuss how the OCO-3 V&V Program architecture interfaced with the ISS payload interface V&V program to show that the mission requirements were met.