Cobham Gaisler LEON3FT Processor Technology Launch Aboard Iridium NEXT

GOTHENBERG, SWEDEN. -- February 23, 2017 -- Cobham’s products and services contributed to the launch aboard the ten Iridium NEXT satellites. Iridium NEXT comprises a unique architecture of 66 cross-linked Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, delivering high-quality mobile voice and data coverage over the planet’s surface – including oceans, airways and polar regions. The Iridium NEXT satellites have been designed by Thales Alenia Space in the cooperation with Orbital Sciences Corporation as payload and bus integrator. The first ten Iridium NEXT satellites were launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on a Falcon 9 rocket from the launch-service provider SpaceX.

Cobham Gaisler’s LEON3 fault-tolerant microprocessor Intellectual Property (IP) core was selected by Thales Alenia Space as the processor in their highly integrated proprietary EPICA-NEXT System-on-Chip (SoC) device that is used in the redundant Platform Computer (PFC) in each one of the Iridium NEXT satellites.

"The fault-tolerant LEON3 processor IP core has become the default industry standard for onboard computers used in space, providing a high level of fault-tolerance combined with a high computational power and ease of use when being integrated in complex System-on- Chip devices. When combined with the fault-tolerant Memory Management Unit and Floating Point Unit, the LEON3 becomes an attractive processor technology with low power consumption that is easy to integrate in spacecraft platform and payload,” said Sandi Habinc, General Manager, Cobham Gaisler.

“Cobham congratulates Iridium team for a successful launch,” said Jeff Hassannia, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Technology for Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions.

Please visit www.cobham.com/HiRel for information about Cobham Semiconductor Solutions products.

Cobham Semiconductor Solutions

We are a global supplier of Standard HiRel ICs including memory, μprocessor, interconnect & power and ASICs for space, commercial, medical and industrial markets, along with Electronic Manufacturing Services (Circuit Card Assembly, Radiation Testing, Component Up-screening and Packaging).

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