Frontgrade Gaisler Awarded ESA Contract to Qualify Spacecraft Avionics Microcontroller for Flight
June 27 2024 - 2:00AM
Business Wire
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Frontgrade Gaisler,
a leading provider of radiation-hardened microprocessors for space
applications, a contract under the ARTES Core Competitiveness
programme to qualify the GR716B microcontroller for flight. This
state-of-the-art microcontroller is specifically designed for
spacecraft avionics, and its prototype is expected to be released
later this year.
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The European Space Agency (ESA) has
awarded Frontgrade Gaisler, a leading provider of
radiation-hardened microprocessors for space applications, a
contract under the ARTES Core Competitiveness programme to qualify
the GR716B microcontroller for flight. This state-of-the-art
microcontroller is specifically designed for spacecraft avionics,
and its prototype is expected to be released later this year.
(Photo: Business Wire)
The ESA contract will support the rigorous flight qualification
process for the GR716B, ensuring that it meets the highest
standards for reliability of critical space missions. Flight
qualification will verify that the microcontroller can operate
reliably while encountering the harsh conditions of space.
“We are thrilled to receive this significant contract from ESA,”
said Sandi Habinc, General Manager of Frontgrade Gaisler. “The
GR716B microcontroller represents a major advancement in our
technology, offering enhanced analogue functionalities for space
missions. This contract not only validates our efforts but also
accelerates the availability of this technology to the space
industry.”
The many interfaces that GR716B offers allow it to support a
wide variety of applications and serve as an integral part of any
spacecraft subsystem, ranging from ensuring stable power delivery
to controlling motors and magnetorquers. This versatility makes it
ideal for advanced space missions requiring robust and reliable
performance.
“We are very pleased to support the development of the GR716B
through our ARTES Core Competitiveness programme,” said Domenico
Mignolo, Acting Head of Technology and Products Division in ESA’s
Connectivity and Secure Communications (CSC) Directorate. “The
GR716B is an innovative product that will allow improved
reliability and flexibility.”
The GR716B microcontroller offers enhanced capabilities over the
company’s GR716A microcontroller, with the latest version offering
higher performance and a broader range of interfaces while
maintaining software compatibility.
Frontgrade Gaisler is also evaluating a GR716B System-in-Package
solution, composed of both the microcontroller and non-volatile
memory, which would greatly simplify system integration and board
design.
About Frontgrade Gaisler
Frontgrade Gaisler is a leading provider of radiation-hardened
microprocessors and IP cores for critical applications,
particularly in the space industry. The company’s processors are
known for their reliability, fault tolerance, and radiation
tolerance, making them ideal for any space mission or other
high-reliability application.
About ESA’s ARTES Core Competitiveness programme line
ESA’s ARTES Core Competitiveness programme aims to maintain and
improve the capability and competitiveness of European and Canadian
industry in the satellite communication market. The programme
combines two elements, ARTES Advanced Technology and ARTES
Competitiveness and Growth, to support technological development
from concept to fully-fledged product, system or service.
Learn more at
https://connectivity.esa.int/core-competitiveness.
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Liz Ryan Sax Frontgrade Technologies +1 (719) 487-4259
press@frontgrade.com