Reliability and sterilization.

Relationships between the electronic reliability requirements and spacecraft sterilization requirements have been studied. An optimistic view on the compatibility of the reliability and sterilization requirements for present electronic systems is projected. The demands for reliability and long life have created parts immune to temperature damage well above the time temperature dose requirements for sterilization. Exceptions exist such as certain classes of capacitors where the sterilization time temperature dose is clearly damaging. Step stress data identifying the damage threshold over a broad range of time temperature dosage is used to illustrate the wide margin above the sterilization requirement for certain part types. The possibility is examined of more effectively utilizing the resources available for heat sterilization compatibility verification by broadening the objective to better identify the damage thresholds and the relationships of environments and failure mechanisms. Decontamination with ethylene oxide gas is examined. The few problems that exist appear to be primarily caused by the water vapor used with ethylene oxide rather than the ethylene oxide itself.