GTD presents its ECSS Category-A Qualification work at ESA & IEEE’s EDHPC 2025

In his presentation, Andoni detailed how GTD GmbH and ESA have worked hand in hand to create a clear framework of guidelines and supporting tools that assist engineers in promoting software from ECSS Category B to Category A — the most demanding level of reliability within European space standards.

This initiative includes open-source utilities such as coverage analyzers, control-flow visualisers, and binary validation tools, which together help ensure software can safely operate under the most critical mission conditions.

By defining these processes and tools, GTD contributes to increasing transparency, consistency, and confidence across the European space software ecosystem — ensuring that critical systems meet the strictest safety and quality requirements.

What is ECSS Category A?

Within the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS), software is classified by its impact on mission and safety.

• Category A represents the highest criticality level, where any failure could lead to mission loss or endanger lives.
• Promoting software from B to A means bringing it up to this level of robustness — through rigorous validation, traceability, and assurance processes.

This work underlines GTD’s role as a trusted software partner in Europe’s most complex and safety-driven missions.

By sharing its experience at EDHPC 2025, GTD reinforces its long-term commitment to software reliability, mission assurance, and European space excellence.