Cobham launch aboard Iridium NEXT
Cobham's antennas, motion control solutions and RadHard microelectronics enable various Iridium NEXT systems. Iridium NEXT is the company's next-generation satellite constellation which replaces and enhances Iridium's existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites.
"Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions is proud to contribute to the next generation of commercial telecommunication space satellites," said Jeff Hassannia, Senior Vice-President of Business Development and Technology. "The breadth of our offerings enable key aspects of spacecraft, including: robust and reliable motion control solutions, RadHard microelectronic solutions, and antennas. Our continuing technology investments in these areas demonstrate our commitment to the success of our customers in this market."
Cobham motion control solutions on Iridium NEXT include actuators for the solar array drive and solar array second axis, while flat plate antennas are used for the inter-satellite links, providing communications between satellites of the Iridium NEXT constellation.
Cobham RadHard microelectronics contributing to Iridium NEXT include power supply solutions, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), LEON microprocessors and intellectual property, SpaceWire transceivers, 1553 transceivers, NOR flash and SDRAM memories, clock drivers, and MSI Logic. Additionally, four separate Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) perform control and data switching for various aspects of Iridium NEXT.
