BAE Systems Develops Next-generation Radiation-hardened Computer for Space

BAE Systems, a world leader in radiation-hardened computers and processors for satellites and spacecraft, today announced a new generation of its flagship space computer that combines fast performance and extreme resiliency to enable previously impossible missions in the harsh environment of space.

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The new RAD5545^TM single-board computer (SBC) provides next-generation spacecraft with the high-performance onboard processing capacity needed to support future space missions — from weather and planetary exploration to communications, surveillance, tracking, and national security missions. The RAD5545 SBC delivers exponential improvements in size, speed, and power-efficiency over its proven predecessor, the RAD750® SBC.

“We’ve been delivering radiation-hardened components for almost three decades, and our customers have come to trust the performance, reliability, and longevity of our technology,” said Dave Rea, director of On-board Processing and Advanced Technology at BAE Systems. “The RAD5545 SBC is the next step in the evolution of space computers. It’s the most technologically advanced radiation-hardened, general-purpose processor for space applications.”

A single RAD5545 SBC replaces multiple cards on previous generations of spacecraft. It combines high performance, large amounts of memory, and fast throughput to improve spacecraft capability, efficiency, and mission performance. With its improved computational throughput, storage, and bandwidth, it will provide spacecraft with the ability to conduct new missions, including those requiring encryption processing, multiple operating systems, ultra high-resolution image processing, autonomous operation, and simultaneous support for multiple payloads — missions that were impossible with previous single-board computers.

The RAD5545 SBC is produced at the company’s facility in Manassas, Virginia. The facility is a U.S. Department of Defense Category 1A Microelectronics Trusted Source.

BAE Systems’ radiation-hardened electronics have been onboard satellites and spacecraft for almost 30 years, delivering long-lasting computing power in extreme environmental conditions. The company has provided more than 900 computers on over 300 satellites, and has provided the computers that power key national space assets, including some that are hundreds of millions of miles away from Earth.

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