32-bit radiation-hardened computers for space

Over the past 11 years, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Phillips Research Center (formerly Phillips Laboratory) has championed the development of microprocessors and computers for United States Air Force (USAF) space and strategic missile application. The latest of these programs, the Advanced Technology Insertion Module (ATIM), is currently scheduled for completion at the end of 1997. ATIM is developing two single-board computers based on 32-bit reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processors. ATIM technology is baselined in the majority of today's Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, including Mars Pathfinder, and commercial satellite systems. The Improved Space Computer Program (ISCP) is envisioned as the next-generation space computer: merging advanced technologies and architectures to meet the high-performance, on-board processing needs for 21/sup st/ century DoD, NASA, and commercial satellites. ISCP is a three pronged effort to evaluate evolving mission requirements, develop a commercial-heritage architecture, and integrate emerging technologies for space applications. These three areas are: the Phase I Concept/Architecture Studies, the Improved Space Architecture Concept (ISAC), and the technology development efforts. ISAC lays out a sequential approach aimed at developing and demonstrating the potential for on-board, satellite processing. The combined serial and parallel development activities will prove that commercial-heritage architectures and technologies can reduce the development time and costs associated with building the next-generation spacecraft.