Compact Wireless EVA Communications System (CWECS)

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) systems are critical to every foreseeable human exploration mission for in-space microgravity EVA and for planetary surface exploration. Innoflight proposes developing a Compact Wireless EVA Communications System (CWECS) as a replacement and advancement of the Space-to-Space EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) Radio (SSER). The CWECS goals are to: (a) provide backward-compatibility with the existing SSCS network and SSER; (b) provide enhanced communication between the EMU and space vehicle (or ISS or future space habitat) via 802.11n, including high-speed telemetry from the EMU to the spacecraft; and (c) provide body area network (BAN) coverage for wireless biomedical devices and sensors within the EMU. The Phase II will leverage Innoflight�s DeSCReeT IF-SDR architecture, which uses cutting edge radiation-tolerant components as the foundation of a software-defined radio (SDR), and transform it into an integrated unit supporting SSCS, 802.11n and BAN. The end result of the Phase II will be a brass-board CWECS that demonstrates compatibility with the selected waveforms.

The current SSER is provided by NASA as GFE. To provide backwards-compatibility to EMU / EVA space suits efforts that use the GFE SSER, Innoflight proposes to build an SSER-compliant variant of CWECS. This will enable consideration in upcoming EMU block upgrades for ISS operations as well as using the ISS and the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) as enabling capabilities for a Mars surface mission. Furthermore, for advanced EVA concepts, including the Exploration EVA, the CWECS will be repackaged into smaller form factor and weight. Deep-space high-speed wireless capabilities (especially 802.11n) will be of interest to the Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) and their robotics efforts. Furthermore, advancing state of the art SDR for space will be appealing to numerous mission areas � most notably, AES�s SCaN. The NASA SBIR program is ideal vehicle to provide cost savings and/ or cost avoidance for an EMU program overdue for innovation but with budget constraints that prohibit a large scale program to advance the space suit design.

Innoflight will work with JSC to understand the opportunities to pursue opportunities to offer EVA technologies to commercial spaceflight companies, such as Virgin Galactic, and international space agencies, such as ESA or JAXA. Furthermore, high-speed wireless capabilities in SDRs will be of interest for autonomous spacecraft. Innoflight has experience with Air Force Research Laboratories, Space Vehicles (AFRL/RV), and Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and Innoflight will pursue these customers� continued demand for more capable SDR along with their current interests in wireless networking capabilities for fractionated and swarming spacecraft concepts.

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