Miniaturized Spacecraft Platform for Command, Data Handling and Electronics

Microelectronics Research Development Corporation (Micro RDC) proposes to develop a platform of low mass/volume/power, reliable miniaturized electronic modules that can be easily configured for multi-functionality. The miniaturized module platform, comprised of reduced set of circuit boards, will be structured for easy configuration of spacecraft systems to provide reliable, low-power solutions for operation in harsh space environments. Each miniaturized module will be designed using a minimum number of components, thus reducing mass, volume and power, while increasing system reliability. The miniaturized modules will be designed using compact System on Chip (SoC) Radiation-Hardened-By-Design (RHBD) configurable digital Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) containing multi-core processors, static memory and built-in house-keeping logic, non-volatile memory and various interface components (Analog to Digital Converters, Digital to Analog Converters and other analog elements). This platform will leverage off of development work recently completed under a contract between Micro-RDC and the U.S. Air Force, where a 90nm CMOS RHBD configurable digital ASIC development platform was invented, developed and verified to produce Qualified Manufacturing Line (QML) qualified RHBD configurable digital ASICs. This digital ASIC development platform allows systems developers access to higher performance RHBD ASICs at lower cost than previous ASIC solutions. Miniaturized, advanced technology, multi-functional circuit board modules will enable satellite systems designers to develop lower cost system solutions for the common, present and future needs of spacecraft operating in harsh space environments, providing lower mass, lower volume and lower power solutions.

NASA supports various requirements ranging from science, space station, and deep space missions requiring high-performance computing and controls. Interplanetary and long term Low Earth Orbit (LEO) systems require radiation tolerances and high-temperature operation to ensure that the on-board electronics will outlast the life expectancy of these systems. These demanding requirements of radiation tolerance and harsh operating environments force satellite systems developers to consider capabilities that can be uniquely optimized for their applications. This platform of miniaturized modular circuit boards can be configured for many kinds and types of applications, providing low cost, low power, highly-compact solutions, lowering risk and time of overall platform deployment. It is anticipated that the technology developed under this program will enable the use of miniaturized modular circuit board systems over a wide range of NASA and commercial space programs as well as applications involving Command and Control, Data Handling, Sensor Excitation and Processing. NASA programs/missions that will benefit from this effort include new lunar landers and orbiters, Mars missions (MAVEN), solar system exploration (e.g. Titan, Juno, Europa, comet nucleus return, New Discovery, and Living with a Star (LWS)). Other uses for the miniaturized circuit board modules and radiation-hardened, high temperature ASICs developed under this SBIR program are many.

Military, intelligence and commercial satellites show growing demand in the numbers of units deployed with advanced capabilities of performance. The 2014 FAA Commercial Space Transportation Forecast predicts that an average of seventy eight commercial payloads will be launched annually over the next decade. A reasonable estimate of the number of classified military and intelligence payloads at least equals the commercial deployments. Cubesat uses are also positioned to become a huge market for the modular circuit board systems and radiation-hardened ASIC components that will be developed under this SBIR program. Large applicability and use of the multi-use board systems and ASIC components, developed under this program will further serve to lower the cost of production for all market applications.

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