ITEC Provided complete avionics computer system Intuitive machine for IM-1 missions The space-rated system developed by ITEC successfully landed on the moon on February 22, 2024. SP0-S space rated single board computer, S740 Radiation tolerant communications PMC board, and S730, Robust space rated SpaceWire card.
intuitive machine is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) Initiatives that are an important part of NASA artemis Lunar exploration efforts. IM-1 is one of the missions that NASA has chosen to bring scientific instruments to the Moon in the coming years, helping to lay the foundation for human missions and a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
The objectives of the CLPS mission include demonstrating precision landings, observing how rocket plumes and space weather interact with the lunar surface, and developing specific communication and navigation nodes for future autonomous navigation technologies. Includes testing functionality.
Aitech’s space-rated SP0-S is a radiation-hardened 3U CompactPCI SBC developed to handle high-performance processing and enhanced memory storage in orbit. Aitech’s SP0-S architecture supports up to seven additional cards that provide clock, arbitration, and interrupt services on the CompactPCI backplane. This also includes his additional SP0-S SBC as a peripheral processor. Nova-C lunar module.
Aitech provided complete conduction-cooled hardware for the Nova-C avionics system for use as both the payload controller and image data processor. Intuitive Machines used this dual SP0-S setup to run both separately. VxWorks RTOS and Linux Run time-critical software while processing video data streams to NAND flash storage modules. This dual SBC system leverages RS-422, SpaceWire cameras, and NAND flash storage in an all-in-one space-saving avionics system.
The S740 Radiation Tolerant Communications PMC is designed with 16 input and 16 output differential channels of RS-422 and uses onboard FPGA logic to connect to external spacecraft sensors and devices. To alleviate bottlenecks, the S740 is designed with a protected onboard PCI bus DMA controller for input and output data packet buffering.
The radiation-hardened S730 SpaceWire PMC card provides three SpaceWire ports with initiator and target functionality, and features the ability to add an RS422 serial interface and 32 GPIOs for complete system communications.
Mr. Ralph Grundler, Space Director, ITEC, Said, “We support the most demanding space applications with computing and connectivity electronics systems, while continually anticipating and exceeding the space industry’s needs and expectations for LEO, GEO, and deep space applications as well as the Moon. That’s what I’m aiming for. The Nova-C class lunar module systems are an example of how Aitech is developing robust space system solutions that can provide reliable performance in the harshest environments.”
