Hundreds of space grade FPGAs deployed in satellite launch

30th January 2017

Xilinx

Alice Matthews

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Datasheet

Hundreds of Xilinx's Space Grade FPGAs were deployed in the launch of the Iridium NEXT satellites. Space Grade Virtex-5QV devices provide scalability and flexibility for new applications and innovations throughout its operational life in space. Iridium NEXT is the company’s next-gen satellite constellation, replacing and enhancing its existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites spanning the entire globe.

The inaugural launch of the first ten Iridium NEXT Satellites occurred on 14^th January 2017.

As an integral component to the Iridium NEXT satellites, Xilinx maintains a strong heritage in the Space products industry with its Space Grade Virtex-5QV devices. The Iridium NEXT satellite has several Space Grade Virtex-5QV devices included on the On Board Processor (OBP) hardware delivered by SEAKR Engineering. The OBP delivers a processing capability of ~1 TFLOP and is an integral element in the Iridium NEXT Reconfigurable Fault-Tolerant Communication Processor. The company claims that the OBP represents the highest performance reconfigurable processor in space to-date.

“The re-configurability of Xilinx’s Space Grade Virtex-5QV FPGA enables Iridium NEXT to continue in-orbit integration of future advancements and innovations throughout its operational lifetime, providing scalability and flexibility for potential new applications not yet envisioned,” said Eric Anderson, President, SEAKR Engineering.

“Xilinx is proud to play a key role in the state-of-the-art Iridium NEXT program integrating hundreds of Space Grade Virtex-5QV FPGAs into the latest Iridium NEXT satellites,” said Yousef Khalilollahi, Vice President, aerospace and defense business, Xilinx. "Xilinx’s participation in the Iridium NEXT communication satellites further solidifies its extensive heritage in providing re-configurable high capacity Space Grade FPGAs to the latest Space applications.”