PSC H318

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) is the uniform federal taxonomy used to classify goods and services in government procurement records for consistent reporting, searching, and analysis across systems such as FPDS and SAM; the official PSC Manual and landing page describe the PSC framework and maintenance process.¹

PSC H318 — Inspection- Space Vehicles — is a service-level code in Category H (Inspection, Testing, and Quality Control) used to report procurements for inspection and testing services specifically for space vehicles. Official H318 language notes that it "Includes: Commercial Testing and Laboratory Services" and "Excludes: Medical and Dental Laboratory Services," indicating the code is intended for non-medical inspection/testing support of spacecraft systems and assemblies.²

• See also on G2X:
  • G2X — PSC H318
  • G2X — PSC J018
  • G2X — PSC H218

What this PSC covers

• Space vehicle inspection services.
• Pre-launch and post-flight structural and systems inspections.
• Non-medical commercial testing and laboratory services for spacecraft hardware.
• Quality-assurance inspections of space-vehicle assemblies and subsystems.
• Acceptance inspections tied to contractual milestones and delivery.
• Environmental, functional, and diagnostic test support (non-medical).²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type | Code | Descriptor

• | - | - PSC | J018 | Maintenance, repair, and rebuilding of space vehicles PSC | K018 | Modification of equipment — space vehicles PSC | L018 | Technical representative — space vehicles PSC | N018 | Installation of equipment — space vehicles

Source: PSC Manual cross-reference listings.³

Usage notes for capture professionals

• Use PSC H318 to classify contract actions where the predominant work is inspection, testing, or commercial laboratory services for space vehicles; if the primary work is repair, rebuild, modification, installation, or technical representation, select the corresponding PSC (for example, J018 or K018).²
• FPDS reporting requires selecting the single PSC that best represents the predominant supplies or services on the award; agencies record PSCs in FPDS per FPDS/PGI reporting guidance.⁴

Frequently asked questions

• Q: When should H318 be selected instead of a maintenance PSC such as J018?
  A: Select H318 when the predominant contract line item is inspection, testing, or laboratory services for space vehicles. If the primary scope is repair or rebuild activity, use the maintenance PSC such as J018.²

• Q: Does H318 cover medical or biomedical testing performed on crewed spacecraft?
  A: No. The PSC Manual explicitly excludes medical and dental laboratory services from inspection codes in this series; medical testing is excluded from H318.²

• Q: Are there NAICS constraints tied to H318 selection in FPDS?
  A: The PSC Manual provides cross-reference data for common NAICS–PSC relationships but does not mandate a single NAICS for H318; agencies choose the NAICS that best describes the performing industry while selecting the PSC that describes the service.³

• Q: How does PSC reporting interact with FPDS entry rules?
  A: FPDS reporting guidance requires the reporting official to select the PSC that best represents the predominant supplies or services on an award; that PSC value is recorded in the FPDS product/service code data field per agency reporting policy.⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC H318 (overview)
• PSC Manual landing and index (official): https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
• PSC Manual (April 2024 PDF): https://login.acquisition.gov/content/psc-manual-april-2024.pdf
• PSC crosswalk (PSC April 2024 spreadsheet): https://login.acquisition.gov/content/psc-april-2024.xlsx
• FPDS/PGI reporting guidance mentioning PSC selection: https://www.acquisition.gov/dfarspgi/pgi-204.606-reporting-data

References

1. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual (PSC Manual landing page). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual April 2024 (PDF) — H318 entry and includes/excludes language. https://login.acquisition.gov/content/psc-manual-april-2024.pdf
3. Acquisition.gov — PSC April 2024 (spreadsheet). https://login.acquisition.gov/content/psc-april-2024.xlsx
4. Acquisition.gov — PGI 204.606 Reporting data (FPDS PSC guidance). https://www.acquisition.gov/dfarspgi/pgi-204.606-reporting-data