SpaceCube Mini Solid State Data Recorder (SSDR)
Information Technology and Software
SpaceCube Mini Solid State Data Recorder (SSDR) (GSC-TOPS-359)
Enabling big data storage & processing on small satellites
Overview
Upcoming SmallSat missions at NASA and in the commercial space sector require highly performant, miniaturized, and radiation tolerant components. One need is for data recorders capable of storing large quantities of data generated by advanced sensors for extended durations. Commercially available SmallSat form factor data recorders generally either have poor reliability in high radiation environments or do not provide the high-speed read/write data rates necessary for high-performance detectors and sensors. This limits data collection ability, which also limits the ability to perform on-board processing.
To meet data recording needs for SmallSat missions in harsh radiation orbits and environments (e.g., GEO, polar, lunar, etc.) innovators at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have developed a radiation tolerant single-board solid-state data recorder (SSDR) card. This miniaturized (3.5” x 3.5”) card is configured for use in a 1U CubeSat payload form factor multi-purpose architecture, enabling high density data storage and on-board processing for a variety of data-intensive SmallSat missions.
The Technology
NASA's SpaceCube Mini SSDR is a 3.5”x3.5” card designed for use in CubeSats and SmallSats. The SSDR uses a radiation-tolerant field programmable gate array (FPGA) that interfaces with two independently controlled and powered banks of NAND Flash storage, providing up to 12 Terabits of storage capacity. The card includes multiple SpaceWire nodes and multi-gigabit transceivers for commanding and data transfer, various error prevention and correction mechanisms including Reed-Solomon encoding/decoding and data randomization schemes, and depacketizers/packetizers for handling data in CCSDS format.
This NASA technology is innovative in its combination of high reliability for harsh radiation environments (e.g., geostationary orbit, lunar orbit and surface, etc.) with high-speed data transfer capabilities (400+ MB/s write, 600+ MB/s read) in a compact form factor. The design allows for selective population of NAND Flash modules and independent control of memory banks, enabling power optimization through features like single-bank operation. The card integrates with a modular architecture system in which multiple CubeSat-sized cards (e.g., processors, GPS, etc.) can be mixed and matched to meet specific mission requirements. The SSDR card includes radiation-hardened voltage regulators to ensure safe operation in space environments.
The SSDR is ideal for small form factor satellites with some combination of the following requirements: (a) ability to store large amounts of data generated by high-performance detectors and sensors for extended durations (e.g., in environments without nearby relay capabilities), (b) ability to read and write data with high throughput, and (c) ability to operate in harsh radiation environments. It is fully compatible with NASA’s CubeSat Card Specification (CS2) and NASA’s SpaceCube v3.0 mini processing card, which is also available for licensing.
Benefits
- Form factor: At 3.5”x 3.5”, NASA’s SpaceCube Mini SSDR fits into a 1U CubeSat form factor avionics architecture, enabling a class of missions that other high-reliability data recorders are not suited for.
- High density data storage: NASA’s SSDR can store 12 terabits of data, making it ideal for space-constrained satellite missions.
- High speed data (memory) rates: With write speeds of 400+ MB/s and read speeds of 600+ MB/s and multiple interface options (SpaceWire, multi-gigabit transceivers), NASA’s SSDR achieves the high-throughput data rates required for use with advanced sensors and detectors.
- Radiation tolerance: Use of radiation-tolerant and radiation-hardened qualified flight parts, as well as built-in error detection and correction capabilities, enables use in harsh radiation environments (e.g., beyond LEO).
- Modular & scalable architecture: A modular architecture allows multiple SSDR units to be configured together to expand satellite data storage capacity.
- Flexible power management: Independent control of NAND Flash memory banks and ability to selectively populate memory banks for power optimization allows the SSDR to operate at just 5-7W, with lower power “inactive” modes possible.
Applications
- SmallSat & CubeSat mission data recording: The SSDR’s capability to handle high-speed data rates makes it ideal for collecting data from advanced sensors and detectors including high-resolution imaging sensors, spectrometers, and radiation detectors, especially in environments where data integrity must be maintained despite radiation exposure.
- Earth observation: Satellites equipped with SSDR can collect and store large volumes of data for both government and commercial Earth observation operations.
- Communication satellites: For communication satellites, particularly those in GEO or lunar orbit, the SSDR could act as a buffer for data that needs to be stored and transmitted when communication windows are available, enhancing the efficiency of data relay systems.
- Aerospace and defense applications: NASA’s SSDR could also be employed in UAVs, sounding rockets, and robotic systems.
- On-board processing: This NASA invention provides the processing capabilities necessary for on-board computing in a wide range of satellite and other systems.
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