HD video from space enables future missions

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the most ambitious space telescope mission to date, and its launch on Christmas Day 2021 was a milestone in the history of space exploration. NASA, in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), launched the telescope from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. The $10 billion telescope's launch was captured in high-definition and streamed live to the control center as it happened, thanks to a vision system developed by Réaltra.


Réaltra is a division of Realtime Technologies based in Dublin, Ireland. The company has manufactured, integrated, and tested the electronic boards for the data acquisition systems for a wide range of past and future space missions since 2006. Its mission log includes SpaceX Falcon 9, Vega-C, and Ariane 5. It is also contracted to provide a vision system for Ariane 6.


The system used to capture the deployment of the JWST, called the RLT-VIKI-x or VIKI, was initially intended for the Ariane 6. Due to the increased interest in space coming from the public, ESA spotted an opportunity and value in filming the deployment as it happened. ESA asked Réaltra to step up its development program and provide an imaging system for the JWST launch vehicle. That gave the team at Réaltra a small number of months to build, test and install the system.


VIKI is a space-qualified independent video telemetry kit for launchers and has been designed to operate as either an integrated part of the vehicle or, importantly, as a totally autonomous modular system. Autonomy was important for the JWST mission because it wasn’t possible to integrate the vision kit into the launch rocket’s systems. The entire system had to function as a standalone solution.


VIKI includes everything needed to capture, process, and transmit video, including its own battery. And although it wasn’t integrated into the rocket’s mission systems, it still had to be qualified for space. That meant making sure it could withstand the enormous physical strain of takeoff and designing it to be radiation tolerant. As well as the short timeline, Réaltra also had to contend with developing and testing the system under the restrictions imposed by a global pandemic.


ESA was keen to capture as much of the mission as possible, not just the deployment of the JWST. The value of the data generated extends beyond public interest. The scientific value of the footage captured will far surpass the initial 15 minutes of fame. The RLT-VIKI vision system from Réaltra is the first vision system to stream HD video live from space, and it's a significant step forward in space exploration technology that will enable future missions to be captured in high-definition and streamed live to the control center as they happen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are microLEDs the next big (small) thing?

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology has been around for decades, but the introduction of micro LEDs has changed the way we think about it. As the name suggests, micro LEDs are tiny versions of the regular LEDs engineers use in embedded systems. The main application areas for micro LEDs are displays of various shapes and sizes, from very small to very big. MicroLEDs are defined as LEDs smaller than 100 micrometers (um) in size. This site is significantly smaller than traditional LEDs, and it opens up new possibilities for applications. The main advantage of micro LEDs is their increased brightness and higher power efficiency compared to OLED or LCD-based displays. This makes them ideal for microdisplays, which are defined as very small displays used for near-eye applications (i.e. not direct view). These displays are usually under 1-inch in size, with high performance (in terms of resolution, brightness, and refresh rates). The manufacturing process of micro LEDs is challenging due to...
Read more

Safety and security in autonomous driving

The integration of autonomous technology in vehicles has brought about a new set of concerns, particularly when it comes to safety and security. As the industry moves towards higher levels of automation, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that cybersecurity measures are in place to protect both the vehicles and their passengers. One key standard that is being used in the automotive industry is ISO/SAE 21434, which provides a structured process for incorporating cybersecurity considerations into automotive products. This standard requires manufacturers and suppliers to demonstrate due diligence in implementing cybersecurity engineering and ensures that cybersecurity management is applied throughout the supply chain. The development of automated driving features also brings new challenges to safety. Historically, automotive electrical and electronic systems have been regulated according to the functional safety standard ISO 26262, which assures a high level of resilience in th...
Read more

Six cool and update autonomous technologies

 EVAA prevents plane crashes with its moral compass: NASA’s Resilient Autonomy team and the Federal Aviation Administration have developed the Expandable Variable Autonomy Architecture (EVAA) to avoid aviation accidents by giving aircraft autonomous capabilities. It can assist human pilots or act on its own and has already saved 11 lives according to Mark Skoog, principal investigator for autonomy research at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. Autonomous tractors increase farm productivity: Autonomous farming can increase the efficiency of large industrial farms, by using self-operating tractors and other machinery, such as John Deere's Autonomous Tractor Concept, which uses GPS and sensor technology to navigate and perform tasks on the farm. Self-driving tractor-trailers fight driver fatigue: Self-driving tractor-trailers can help reduce the risk of accidents caused by driver fatigue, by using sensors and cameras to navigate the roads, and advanced algorithms to make dec...
Read more