Space Exploration Technologies said Tuesday it has attained full compliance with ISO 9001:2000, an international quality management standard. SpaceX achieved compliance by submitting to an independent audit that evaluated the design, manufacture, and testing of the company’s launch vehicles, launch services, vehicle transport activities and launch vehicle recovery operations.
ISO 9001 Certification was recommended by NSF-ISR, a registrar accredited by the ANSI/ASQ National Accreditation Board.
“SpaceX is focused on improving the reliability and reducing the cost of access to space,” said Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive offier. “Passing the ISO 9001 audit demonstrates our commitment to implementing quality processes at every level of our operation.”
The audit by NSF-ISR included all activities at the company’s five main facilities in California, as well as engine and structural test activities in McGregor, Texas. SpaceX said it plans to add AS9100 certification, an exacting quality standard specific to the aerospace community, within the next few months.
ISO 9000 is a generic name given to a family of management standards developed by the International Standards Organization to provide a framework by which companies can develop a quality management system.
To achieve certification for ISO 9001:2000, a company must have developed a quality management system, a system of management responsibility, a system of resource management, a plan for product realization, and a method to measure overall performance and improvement.
