ABSTRACT
Reliability of a device or system for space flight is the ability to consistently meet the requirements before and after launch and throughout the life of the mission. Failure modes, mechanisms, causes, estimates, risks, and remedies are conceived, established, and investigated by the reliability engineers working together with subsystem engineers. Some reliability and qualification issues may be mitigated via modeling and component design, while others would require verification through testing. The signal and pump diode lasers lifetime are of primary concern to overall reliability of the laser. Reliability of fiber-optic connections to active elements under mechanical, thermal, and optical stresses has to be verified utilizing standard test procedures. Fiber lasers and amplifiers are typically doped with appreciable concentrations of rare earth elements such as erbium or ytterbium. For fiber-optic components, quality of couplers, connectors, filters, isolators, and other passive components need to be qualified separately.
