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Completed TRL 4 (started at 4, targeting 6)
Addressing the technology demands for advanced flexible/reconfigurable interconnects for satellite subsystems and sensor devices, this project aims at advancing SmallSat technology by designing and demonstrating a wireless SmallSat bus interconnects with technical foci on cost-benefit factors: maximizing reliability/security and reconfigurability of the wireless bus, while minimizing the potential risk and cost factors. The proposed wireless bus interface technology will enable rapid system integration with improved reliability, flexible system reconfigurability, and with much enhanced energy-efficiency and cost-benefits. Primary objectives of this project include technology developments and experimental demonstrations of the proposed wireless SmallSat interface technology. Particular technical attentions will be on the interface delay and energy/area/cost for the wireless interface modules, and also on security concerns raised by the wireless interfaces. Experimental demonstrations will be done for a set of prototype hardware/software systems which will be integrated within a 1U CubeSat form factor.
The successful outcome of the research is anticipated to yield many direct impacts on a broad range of NASA’s future spacecraft design engineering and mission integration processes, by enabling a number of technology advancements, including the followings: i) Rapid spacecraft mission integration by simplifying physical hardware and interconnect routing matrix; ii) Reduction in mass and volume for the interfaces; iii) Increased system reliability by providing signal relaying capability for potential faulty interconnects; iv) Efficient wireless instrumentations with embedded sensors for structural health monitoring; and v) Post-deployment reconfigurability by the programmable multiplexing capability of wireless interface protocol.
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