You know that spaceflight has been and always will be a risky business, and not only when man is sent into space.
Risk comes in two varieties.
Technical risk is associated with the complexity, failure potentials and hazardous characteristics of the space system. Programmatic risk is associated with the failures to meet the project goals or to stay within the cost and schedule envelope. The culture of risk avoidance at all costs must be replaced by a more acceptable cost-effective risk management process. Integrated risk management is required by the basic management policy of the new ECSS standards. ECSS is a cooperative effort of ESA, European National Space Agencies and European industry associations for the purpose of developing and maintaining common standards for space projects.