Failure Mechanism and Accelerated Life Test Design of Space Bearing

Along with the development of space station, the reliability of long-life space motion mechanism like space bearing becomes more and more crucial. Therefore, it is important to investigate accelerated life test (ALT) schemes for long-life space bearing. In this paper, the flow chart of ALT for low-speed space bearing is proposed based on failure mechanism analysis and standards. In order to make sure that failure mechanism is consistent during accelerated tests, possible failure modes of bearing are analyzed, especially the lubrication failure. According to different lubrication states, some accelerated stresses are compared and selected. Meanwhile, the number of testing bearings should be taken into consideration, due to the fact that it plays a key role in analyzing lifespan in the ALT. Based on our analysis and discussions, an ALT scheme is formulated, which can be used as a guide for space bearing ALTs.