The ECSS Spacecraft Engineering - Control Performance standard deals with control systems developed as part of a space project. It is applicable to all the elements of a space system, including the space segment, the ground segment and the launch service segment.

It addresses the issue of control performance, in terms of definition, specification, verification and validation methods and processes.

The standard defines a general framework for handling performance indicators, which applies to all disciplines involving control engineering, and which can be applied as well at different levels ranging from equipment to system level. It also focuses on the specific performance indicators applicable to the case of closed-loop control systems - mainly stability and robustness.

Although designed to be general, one of the major application field for the standard is spacecraft pointing. Indeed, the definitions and the normative clauses of the standard apply to pointing performance; nevertheless fully specific pointing issues are not addressed there in detail (spinning spacecraft cases for example). Complementary material for pointing error budgets can be found in ECSS-E-HB-60-10 and the ESA Pointing Error Engineering Handbook.

A link to the ECSS website where the ECSS Control Performance standard can be downloaded is provided in the Downloads page.