Cobham Electronics, Actuators Aboard GOES-R

December 08, 2016

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Cobham's high reliability motion control solutions and radiation hardened (RadHard) microelectronics have launched aboard NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - R Series (GOES-R) spacecraft.  GOES-R is the next generation of geosynchronous environmental satellites intended to provide atmospheric measurements for weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and space weather monitoring.  Cobham Integrated Electronic Solutions contributed motion control products along with Cobham Semiconductor Solutions' RadHard microelectronics to the GOES-R spacecraft, which was built by Lockheed Martin. Both business units are part of the Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions sector.

"Cobham congratulates NOAA and NASA for a successful launch," said Jeff Hassannia, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Technology for Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions. "We are proud to once again support space exploration through our high reliability motion control products and RadHard microelectronics. The payload instruments aboard GOES-R require almost jitter-free operation. As such, our actuators and controllers provide proven, low-disturbance operation for the Solar Array and Sun Pointing Platform. Moreover, an array of RadHard microelectronics enable the mission including: Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) products, Medium Scale Integration (MSI) logics, clock management products, memory products such as Programmable Read-Only Memories (PROM), and SpaceWire 4-port Routers."

For critical space applications such as those on GOES-R that require robust design and manufacturing capability, Cobham's motion control solutions employ zero-cogging brushless DC motors utilizing resolvers for commutation, a resolver assembly for output position sensing and a redundant closed-loop controller. Cobham's RadHard microelectronics has proven flight history, making them an ideal choice.

Source : Cobham