MicroTCA architecture chosen for NASA's terminal upgrading

NASA has chosen the MicroTCA (μTCA) for its high performance, system management and failover capabilities, and COTS module diversity. The ground terminals are used in conjunction with several satellites supporting over 20 spacecraft, including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope, and Terra.

VadaTech’s MicroTCA system has been selected for the NASA project, including a 5U 12-slot chassis, a dual 10GbE FMC interface module, and the MicroTCA Carrier Hub (MCH). SGSS plans to use μTCA components for the majority of the DSP element, including the analog-to-digital converters, modems, beamformers and processors. The μTCA architecture is also employed for USG local interface functions. The use of μTCA open-standard technologies provides a true COTS architecture, preventing sole vendor lock-in and saves money due to the low unit costs for the chassis, power supplies and processing cards. The upgraded ground terminal will accomplish more functionality in 1½ equipment racks versus the 24 needed in the current system.