Military/Aerospace Electronics

PXI-based test systems are replacing VXI-based systems in the aerospace and defence markets. This is the message from test system supplier Astronics Test Systems which has teamed up with National Instruments to bring a number of PXI-based automated test systems to aerospace and defence markets. Jim Mulato, president of Astronics Test Systems believes a move to PXI-based instruments will improve the long-term ...

UK companies are being given the opportunity to capitalise on the commercial opportunities in the aerospace sector at Aerodays 2015. European research in aeronautics and air transport is being showcased at Aerodays 2015 being held in London this week. The event features companies being funded by Innovate UK to develop technology enablers which will allow for the implementation of technologies and ...

For UAVs power/weight ratio is the all-important design consideration and this can be influenced by the selection of the electronic systems controlling motors and sensors, writes Steve Munns The origins of modern day UAVs (unmanned autonomous vehicles) stretch back more than 100 years however one might consider pilotless radio-controlled planes used for aerial target practice in the 1930s as the ...

Tomorrow sees the first launch of the two-satellite Sentinel-2 mission from French Guiana. The Sentinel-2A satellite will be launched on a Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport near Kourou. The event is scheduled to take place at 01:52 GMT. Sentinel-2 is the second mission for Europe’s Copernicus environment monitoring programme. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), it “carries an innovative ...

Roke Manor, Thales UK and  the air traffic control service Nats have used existing TV signals to track aircraft. They say they have tracked 30 aircraft simultaneously at altitudes up to 10,000ft, from a transmitter at Crystal Palace. Three special receivers were used to measure the directions of signals reflected off the planes and the differences in time compared to uninterrupted ...

e2V has announced QorIQ P1 PowerPC processors for avionics and defence electronics. Based on a PowerPC core architecture e500v2, they operate at up to 1.067GHz from -55 to +125˚C. “e2v ensures long-term continuity of supply with its Semiconductor Lifecycle Management (SLiM) programme, designed for aerospace and defence longevity requirements. The series of products includes: P1013 and P1022 with qualified production ...

Say “software security” to most people and they will think of hacked bank accounts, or attacks on corporate databases. Closer to home, consider the current trend for hackers to target medical records rather than electronic credit card data as the former proves to be more profitable and less risky. The natural, immediate response on discovery of a violation would be ...

Warwick University’s WUSAT-2 satellite, which was launched earlier this month, uses miniature connectors from Harwin. The student-run project has built and launched a small 10x10x10cm CubeSat satellite into space. Overseen by the European Space Agency (ESA), the satellite was launched from the Swedish Space Centre. After the successful launch the satellite was ejected and the communications system started transmitting data ...

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos secretly launched an uncrewed rocket to space on Wednesday from his private launch facility in the Texas desert. Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, has been working on sub-orbital space flight since 2000, with an eye on the space tourism market. Its New Shepard capsule and booster rocket system has been developed under a shroud of secrecy, with ...

Space technology companies meeting in Abu Dhabi next month will highlight the importance of investing in space education and development. Meeting at the Global Space & Satellite forum which takes place  26 – 27 May will demonstrate how space expenditure in a country fosters science and technology and supports local industries. Jerry Jon Sellers, PhD (LtCol USAF-ret), Senior Space Systems Engineer and author of “Understanding ...