A complete system of command and data handling (C&DH) flight computers and peripherals from Aitech Systems is providing some of the advanced signal routing and switching needed by Sidus Space for its LizzieSat satellite. The satellite (see image above), launched earlier this year on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 Rideshare mission, collects data in support of a number of industries, including agriculture, maritime, and oil/gas businesses. Various sensors are employed for data collection, including hyperspectral, multispectral, and optical sensors.
The Aitech system includes two of the firm’s model S-A1760 radiation-characterized, general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs) with artificial intelligence (AI) and a pair of model S-A6640 small-form-factor (SFF) Ethernet switches. The combination of GPGPUs and SFF switches enables in-orbit switching between high-speed protocols, such as IP and Ethernet.
Sidus Space chief executive officer (CEO), Carol Craig, noted, “We are excited as we move on to the final phase of satellite operations with LS-1 and begin operating our customer payloads.” She added, “I am beyond proud of the entire Sidus team who has worked tirelessly to systematically move through the critical initial stage of operations for the first satellite in our constellation and look forward to launching additional satellites later this year.”
Ralph Grundler, Director of Space Business Development for Aitech, said, “Aitech is proud to provide rugged space system solutions to Sidus Space, which are essential for the C&DH flight computers that are vital components of LizzieSat. We continuously design and manufacture affordable and reliable systems to enable space exploration across all orbits.”
The radiation-tolerant model S-A6640 SFF Ethernet switch is well-suited for near-Earth-orbit (NEO) and low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, providing interconnection of all on-board electronic devices with high reliability. The S-A1760 GPGPU, which reaches rates of 1 TFLOPS, is a good fit for video and signal processing in distributed networks and systems.