Airbus Defence and Space wins contract for Solid State Recorder to fly on NASA-ISRO SAR Mission (NISAR)

Summary

• - Airbus Defence and Space to supply latest generation flash memory for Earth observation satellite - First contract for the company’s high-capacity Solid State Recorder to deploy on a US mission

Airbus Defence and Space, the world’s second largest space company, will supply its latest generation Solid State Recorder for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, slated for launch in 2020. The contract was recently signed between Airbus Defence and Space and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CA, USA.

"This order for the NISAR mission demonstrates the high level of confidence our customers have in our product line heritage. It is the first time that our Solid State Recorder based on Flash technology will be deployed on a US mission," said Jean-Pierre Domenget, Head of Space Equipment. "This product will offer more than 10 Tbit storage capacity in a unit with mass less than 25Kg. This, combined with a high-level file management system, provides a world-class solution fully satisfying the customer’s needs."

The flash memory Solid-State Recorder (SSR) products of Airbus Defence and Space had previously successfully passed all NASA space qualification test requirements. In addition, the company’s flash-based SSR has exceeded 40 months of operation in orbit onboard SPOT 6 (2012), the first commercial satellite to deploy this technology. Airbus Defence and Space flash-based mass memory products have also been launched on SPOT 7 (2014) and Sentinel-2 (ESA, 2015).

Compared to the previous SDRAM-based generation, this flash-based solution offers 60 percent better performance, is also 2.5 times lighter, 5 times smaller and consumes 3.5 times less power. Widely used in mass-market electronics, flash technology has now proven that it meets the very strict quality standards required for space missions fulfilling all requirements in orbit.

The company’s Solid State Recorders provide high capacity mass memories supporting high data rates with optional CCSDS File Delivery Protocol, (CFDP) support. Airbus Defence and Space continues to develop next-generation Solid State Recorders supporting the highest data rates needed for surveillance, Earth Observation and scientific applications.

Using advanced radar imaging, NISAR will observe and take measurements of some of the planet's most complex processes. These include ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides. It is a partnership between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation.

About Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space, a division of Airbus Group, is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise and the second largest space business worldwide. Its activities include space, military aircraft and related systems and services. It employs more than 38,000 people and in 2015 generated revenues of over 13 billion Euros.