In the ever-changing landscape of space exploration, ongoing research and development efforts are focusing on refining existing technologies and pioneering new solutions. Open standards are helping to establish clear design paths for the development of space electronics, removing the same barriers as earth-rated systems, but addressing the unique attributes of in-orbit applications. These include radiation levels based on the orbit level as well as mission duration.
Growing Use of COTS Rugged Electronics in Space
Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites are proliferating in commercial space applications, with almost 8,000 of them currently in orbit, as reported by Orbiting Now. Operating at distances as low as 160 km and up to 2,000 km from Earth, they require less radiation tolerance than deep space missions and typically have shorter in-orbit requirements.
With private industry and government entities alike building systems for LEO, the diverse range of applications spans from Earth observation and communications to remote sensing and ISR.
The need for a more unified development environment has prompted space system designers to focus on not only interoperability, but cost-effective development.
In fact, NASA is working closely with leading open standards organizations, including VITA and SOSA, to begin developing space-focused open standards for future technology innovations. Cost reduction is a very high priority for space programs. The goal of adopting open standards for the space community is to give the designer the best possible choice to get the job done quickly. This helps reduce integration costs through the use of higher volume boards in order to realize economies of scale.
As noted by VITA Executive Director Dean Holman, “Over the past 40 years, VITA has cooperatively developed reliable embedded processing standards used by innumerable industries. Working with NASA and other VITA member companies to create open standards in support of space applications throughout LEO applications is an exciting next step. We foresee crafting standards that will help NASA and other space companies lower the cost of designing and producing the next generation of satellites.”
OpenVPX Offers Forward Path
As system requirements evolved over the past few decades, embedded design engineers sought different methods to build space-rated systems using current open standards initiatives. One critical area of focus was the backplane, as the original initiative that governed backplanes no longer met the needs of space-rated systems. These new systems need backplanes that support high bandwidth, high density, and tightly coupled modules.
OpenVPX systems (VITA 65) are often deployed in harsh environments across a range of defense and industrial applications where excessive shock, vibration and high ambient temperatures are common. This open standard defines system-level VPX interoperability for multi-vendor, multi-module, integrated systems and clear interoperability points necessary for integration from module to module, module to backplane and backplane to chassis.
Migrating OpenVPX, which has long supported a plethora of profiles based on 3U and 6U card form factors, into the space environment enables design engineers to rely on proven architecture to help facilitate space-rated systems.
SpaceVPX: A Standard for the Future
SpaceVPX, or VITA 78, which was developed according to the Next Generation Space Interconnect Standard (NGSIS), leverages OpenVPX to create high performance, fault tolerant interoperable backplanes and modules for electronic systems of spacecraft. This relatively new addition to the family of VPX standards is also being brought into the SOSA Consortium for inclusion in its reference architecture.
A new or updated profile that will address some specific space program needs, such as redundancy, power and bandwidth, is under development, and VPX backplanes can easily be designed to deliver the requirements of these space profile requirements. Clearly demonstrating this is Elma’s interactive backplane topology charts, which make easy work of selecting the right set of profiles to fit the given project payload requirements.
Utilizing Proven Elements of Open Standards
SpaceVPX not only gives us the opportunity to contributing to the development of modular and scalable spaceborne electronics, but this forward-thinking approach enables seamless integration of new technologies, reducing development time and enhancing overall system reliability.
Relevant aspects of OpenVPX that aid in space application development include:
• Control and management of VPX pin assignment to functional planes in an interoperable architecture
• High degree of interoperability, while leaving room for sensor- or application-specific augmentation
• Improved efficiency in cost, time, quality, and repeatability when moving VPX-based solutions from the lab to the field
Collaborative Innovation Beyond Boundaries
As open standards continue to gain a foothold in space electronics, ensuring a supportive and collaborative ecosystem will further strengthen the interoperability and cost-focus objectives of space-rated systems.
For example, Elma applies the same collaborative principles from its military and defense partnerships across the space sector. These combined efforts foster an environment where collective knowledge and shared expertise drive innovation.
Capitalizing on the healthy and established OpenVPX ecosystem, SpaceVPX provides a means of easily and seamlessly implementing an open standards infrastructure in lower-level space applications. This has resulted in a higher number of off-the-shelf components and subsystems that can be used in these types of space applications, while remaining operable and reliable in rugged, unforgiving environments.
