**NASA Research and Technology Program and Project Management
Requirements**

**NASA Procedural Requirements 7120.8**

**Appendix J. Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)**

Effective Date: February 05, 2008

Expiration Date: February 05, 2013

**J.1 - TRL Readiness Levels (TRLs) Definitions:**

  --------- ---------------- ------------------------ -------------------- ----------------------
  **TRL**   **Definition**   **Hardware Description** **Software           **Exit Criteria**
                                                      Description**        

  **1**     Basic principles Scientific knowledge     Scientific knowledge Peer reviewed
            observed and     generated underpinning   generated            publication of
            reported.        hardware technology      underpinning basic   research underlying
                             concepts/applications.   properties of        the proposed
                                                      software             concept/application.
                                                      architecture and     
                                                      mathematical         
                                                      formulation.         

  **2**     Technology       Invention begins,        Practical            Documented description
            concept and/or   practical application is application is       of the
            application      identified but is        identified but is    application/concept
            formulated.      speculative, no          speculative, no      that addresses
                             experimental proof or    experimental proof   feasibility and
                             detailed analysis is     or detailed analysis benefit.
                             available to support the is available to      
                             conjecture.              support the          
                                                      conjecture. Basic    
                                                      properties of        
                                                      algorithms,          
                                                      representations and  
                                                      concepts defined.    
                                                      Basic principles     
                                                      coded. Experiments   
                                                      performed with       
                                                      synthetic data.      
  --------- ---------------- ------------------------ -------------------- ----------------------

  --------- ---------------- ------------------ --------------------- -------------------------
  **TRL**   **Definition**   **Hardware         **Software            **Exit Criteria**
                             Description**      Description**         

  **3**     Analytical and   Analytical studies Development of        Documented
            experimental     place the          limited functionality analytical/experimental
            critical         technology in an   to validate critical  results validating
            function and/or  appropriate        properties and        predictions of key
            characteristic   context and        predictions using     parameters.
            proof of         laboratory         non-integrated        
            concept.         demonstrations,    software components.  
                             modeling and                             
                             simulation                               
                             validate                                 
                             analytical                               
                             prediction.                              

  **4**     Component and/or A low fidelity     Key, functionally     Documented test
            breadboard       system/component   critical, software    performance demonstrating
            validation in    breadboard is      components are        agreement with analytical
            laboratory       built and operated integrated, and       predictions. Documented
            environment.     to demonstrate     functionally          definition of relevant
                             basic              validated, to         environment.
                             functionality and  establish             
                             critical test      interoperability and  
                             environments, and  begin architecture    
                             associated         development. Relevant 
                             performance        Environments defined  
                             predictions are    and performance in    
                             defined relative   this environment      
                             to the final       predicted.            
                             operating                                
                             environment.                             

  **5**     Component and/or A medium fidelity  End-to-end software   Documented test
            breadboard       system/component   elements implemented  performance demonstrating
            validation in    brassboard is      and interfaced with   agreement with analytical
            relevant         built and operated existing              predictions. Documented
            environment.     to demonstrate     systems/simulations   definition of scaling
                             overall            conforming to target  requirements.
                             performance in a   environment.          
                             simulated          End-to-end software   
                             operational        system, tested in     
                             environment with   relevant environment, 
                             realistic support  meeting predicted     
                             elements that      performance.          
                             demonstrates       Operational           
                             overall            environment           
                             performance in     performance           
                             critical areas.    predicted. Prototype  
                             Performance        implementations       
                             predictions are    developed.            
                             made for                                 
                             subsequent                               
                             development                              
                             phases.                                  
  --------- ---------------- ------------------ --------------------- -------------------------

  --------- ------------------- ------------------ ------------------- ---------------
  **TRL**   **Definition**      **Hardware         **Software          **Exit
                                Description**      Description**       Criteria**

  **6**     System/sub-system   A high fidelity    Prototype           Documented test
            model or prototype  system/component   implementations of  performance
            demonstration in an prototype that     the software        demonstrating
            operational         adequately         demonstrated on     agreement with
            environment.        addresses all      full-scale          analytical
                                critical scaling   realistic problems. predictions.
                                issues is built    Partially integrate 
                                and operated in a  with existing       
                                relevant           hardware/software   
                                environment to     systems. Limited    
                                demonstrate        documentation       
                                operations under   available.          
                                critical           Engineering         
                                environmental      feasibility fully   
                                conditions.        demonstrated.       

  **7**     System prototype    A high fidelity    Prototype software  Documented test
            demonstration in an engineering unit   exists having all   performance
            operational         that adequately    key functionality   demonstrating
            environment.        addresses all      available for       agreement with
                                critical scaling   demonstration and   analytical
                                issues is built    test. Well          predictions.
                                and operated in a  integrated with     
                                relevant           operational         
                                environment to     hardware/software   
                                demonstrate        systems             
                                performance in the demonstrating       
                                actual operational operational         
                                environment and    feasibility. Most   
                                platform (ground,  software bugs       
                                airborne, or       removed. Limited    
                                space).            documentation       
                                                   available.          
  --------- ------------------- ------------------ ------------------- ---------------

  --------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------- ---------------
  **TRL**   **Definition**   **Hardware         **Software          **Exit
                             Description**      Description**       Criteria**

  **8**     Actual system    The final product  All software has    Documented test
            completed and    in its final       been thoroughly     performance
            \"flight         configuration is   debugged and fully  verifying
            qualified\"      successfully       integrated with all analytical
            through test and demonstrated       operational         predictions.
            demonstration.   through test and   hardware and        
                             analysis for its   software systems.   
                             intended           All user            
                             operational        documentation,      
                             environment and    training            
                             platform (ground,  documentation, and  
                             airborne, or       maintenance         
                             space).            documentation       
                                                completed. All      
                                                functionality       
                                                successfully        
                                                demonstrated in     
                                                simulated           
                                                operational         
                                                scenarios.          
                                                Verification and    
                                                Validation (V&V)    
                                                completed.          

  **9**     Actual system    The final product  All software has    Documented
            flight proven    is successfully    been thoroughly     mission
            through          operated in an     debugged and fully  operational
            successful       actual mission.    integrated with all results.
            mission                             operational         
            operations.                         hardware/software   
                                                systems. All        
                                                documentation has   
                                                been completed.     
                                                Sustaining software 
                                                engineering support 
                                                is in place. System 
                                                has been            
                                                successfully        
                                                operated in the     
                                                operational         
                                                environment.        
  --------- ---------------- ------------------ ------------------- ---------------

**J.2 - Technology Development Terminology**

**Proof of Concept:**

Analytical and experimental demonstration of hardware/software concepts
that may or may not be incorporated into subsequent development and/or
operational units.

**Breadboard:**

A low fidelity unit that demonstrates function only, without respect to
form or fit in the case of hardware, or platform in the case of
software. It often uses commercial and/or ad hoc components and is not
intended to provide definitive information regarding operational
performance.

**Brassboard:**

A medium fidelity functional unit that typically tries to make use of as
much operational hardware/software as possible and begins to address
scaling issues associated with the operational system. It does not have
the engineering pedigree in all aspects, but is structured to be able to
operate in simulated operational environments in order to assess
performance of critical functions.

**Proto-type Unit:**

The proto-type unit demonstrates form, fit, and function at a scale
deemed to be representative of the final product operating in its
operational environment. A subscale test article provides fidelity
sufficient to permit validation of analytical models capable of
predicting the behavior of full-scale systems in an operational
environment

**Engineering Unit:**

A high fidelity unit that demonstrates critical aspects of the
engineering processes involved in the development of the operational
unit. Engineering test units are intended to closely resemble the final
product (hardware/software) to the maximum extent possible and are built
and tested so as to establish confidence that the design will function
in the expected environments. In some cases, the engineering unit will
become the final product, assuming proper traceability has been
exercised over the components and hardware handling.

**Mission Configuration:**

The final architecture/system design of the product that will be used in
the operational environment. If the product is a subsystem/component,
then it is embedded in the actual system in the actual configuration
used in operation.

**Laboratory Environment:**

An environment that does not address in any manner the environment to be
encountered by the system, subsystem, or component (hardware or
software) during its intended operation. Tests in a laboratory
environment are solely for the purpose of demonstrating the underlying
principles of technical performance (functions), without respect to the
impact of environment.

**Relevant Environment:**

Not all systems, subsystems, and/or components need to be operated in
the operational environment in order to satisfactorily address
performance margin requirements. Consequently, the relevant environment
is the specific subset of the operational environment that is required
to demonstrate critical \"at risk\" aspects of the final product
performance in an operational environment. It is an environment that
focuses specifically on \"stressing\" the technology advance in
question.

**Operational Environment:**

The environment in which the final product will be operated. In the case
of space flight hardware/software, it is space. In the case of
ground-based or airborne systems that are not directed toward space
flight, it will be the environments defined by the scope of operations.
For software, the environment will be defined by the operational
platform.