ON-BOARD SWITCHING AND PROCESSING

The NASA Lewis Research Center (Lewis) Space Electronics Division (SED) space communications program includes systems studies and advanced development of digital signal switching and processing technology for both space- and ground-based systems. The program capitalizes on the knowledge gained from the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) program and pursues system-enabling, advanced technologies focused on commercial and U.S. public sector missions. Findings from SED's advanced systems studies related to future communications satellite services that will require and employ onboard switching and processing technology are reviewed. Next, SED's digital signal switching and processing technology program is reviewed. This program responds to specific systems technology development needs for enabling commercial development of future satellite services. The technologies include: modulators, demodulators, and forward error-correction hardware for space-and ground-based applications; on-board information switching and processing, on-board network control and health monitoring; and cost-efficient ground terminals. The paper concludes by reviewing the in-house systems integration, test, and evaluation (SITE) project, which includes a laboratory test bed for evaluating technology in a simulated systems environment. © 1990 IEEE