The Artemis Mission utilizes NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Rocket. Atop the SLS, sits the Orion Spacecraft which makes the journey to the moon after reaching space and escaping the Earth’s gravity through the power of the SLS. North Atlantic Industries provides the Sensor Interface Unit SIU35, a rugged embedded COTS system which serves as the Data Concentrator for the Launch Abort System (LAS), which collects critical sensor data for determination of whether the payload or crew can safely continue to space. If sensor data suggests conditions are unsafe, the LAS can abort the mission and save the Orion Capsule and crew. NAI products were also in the launch tower monitoring the health of batteries connected to three Flight Computers in the rocket.

NAI's rugged Configurable Open Systems Architecture™ (COSA®) allowed NASA the flexibility to move forward with hardware decisions before knowing the final requirements, including I/O changes. The result was the delivery of an early functional prototype solution. North Atlantic's I/O modules provide a variety of functionality such as Serial Communications, Discrete I/O, and RTD measurement. The SIU35 uses an Internal NAI COTS 150 W, 28 VDC input power supply that meets MIL-STD-704A, MIL-STD-1275D and provides 50 milliseconds of holdup.

Photo Credit: NASA

Photo Credit: NASA