Abstract. The reliability of the multi-channel information and control system functioning is evaluated. As an example of such a system implementation, an onboard control system of a small spacecraft is chosen. The probability of failure-free operation, the failure rate, and the average time to failure are used as quantitative reliability indicators. Various redundancy schemes for separate blocks and modules of the onboard control system are analyzed. The inexpediency of excessive hardware redundancy of multichannel systems used on board the small spacecraft is substantiated. Suggestions and recommendations are formulated that can be used at the design stage of a complex multichannel information and control system when choosing a rational structure for hardware, determining reasonable limits for redundancy of hardware and software.

Keywords: reliability, probability of failure-free operation, failure rate, failure, on-Board control system, small spacecraft, redundancy, hardware redundancy, reliability block diagram, multi-channel system

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