Essentially, there are two basic categories of spacecraft, Intersolar System Spacecraft and Extrasolar System Spacecraft. The difference between the two categories of spacecraft is that solar system spacecraft travel only within our solar system, while extrasolar system spacecraft travel between our solar system and other stars. This article does not cover spacecraft in the extra-solar system because the technology for traveling from our Sun to other stars in our galaxy and back has not even reached its infancy stage. There are seven basic characteristics and four fundamental classes for inter-solar system spacecraft. [Ref. 5]. The seven fundamental characteristics are:1. It consists of a bus compartment and one or more payload compartments. (See Figure 1)2. It is certified to be maneuverable in space.3. It is certified to respond to manual, remote or robotic command and control.4. It is certified to survive the outer space environment.5. It is certified to meet all space mission requirements.6. It is certified to meet all operational safety requirements.7. It is certified to meet all physical and functional design requirements. Advantages Plug and play open source spacecraft architecture designs consist of hundreds of designs available to all. These drawings are assembled together in something called a Critical Design Review (CDR) [Ref. 6] package. Some of the parts and equipment in the design of a spacecraft architecture can be purchased “off-the-shelf,” so to speak, from commercial parts and equipment suppliers. Commercial Ready to Use (COTS) [Ref. 7] the parts and equipment cost less because they are already made and only need to be delivered". The more COTs in a spacecraft, the better, because that means there will be more hardware here... middle of paper... Russia, China, Japan and Brazil really wanted to improve the standard of living of their citizens so one way to do this would be to exempt their engineers from export control regulations while participating in international space systems working groups.Summary/ConclusionThe advantage of plug and play open source spacecraft is that they cost much less than spacecraft built using proprietary designs because more than one company can build them at the same time. Like kitchen appliances, the more spacecraft built at once, the less each will cost. However, just like commercial kitchen appliances, commercial spacecraft must be consistently safe and reliable when operated. Otherwise, potential customers won't buy them. In the case of spacecraft, "consistent" means that they all have the same level of high quality.