The invention discloses a method for distributing subsystem failure rates in the satellite design process. The subsystem number, the subsystem device number, equipment inheritance categories and other information in satellite design parameters are utilized, the complex rates, the inheriting degrees, the same platform satellite ontrack failure conditions, task time lengths and the development period lengths of satellite subsystems are comprehensively and quantitatively compared, the distribution factors of the subsystems are calculated, and the reliability requirements of a user for the overall satellite are reasonably distributed to the subsystems. The method is put forward by the machine heat engineering department of the Spaceflight East Red Satellite Co. Limited, and is preliminarily used and popularized in a plurality of satellites, index distribution is reasonable and accurate, and large secondary adjustment is not carried out on indexes in the development process. Through the method, the reliability index requirements of the overall satellite for the subsystems meet the actual condition of composite product engineering development better, reliability improvement of products is facilitated better, and implementation of the reliability target of the overall satellite is guaranteed.