Mobile-Menu

NASA Moon Mission Dewetron Measurement Technology Secures the Launch of the Artemis II

From | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

Related Vendors

FAULHABER Drive Systems
Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

The first manned moon mission in over 50 years is on its way. When validating the safety-critical systems before the launch, NASA relied on decentralized data acquisition from Dewetron with hundreds of synchronized channels.

On the way to the moon: To ensure a smooth launch of the Artemis II mission, NASA validated the rocket and launch platform in advance using decentralized DAQ systems from Dewetron.(Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
On the way to the moon: To ensure a smooth launch of the Artemis II mission, NASA validated the rocket and launch platform in advance using decentralized DAQ systems from Dewetron.
(Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The successful launch of the Artemis II mission marks a milestone in the history of space travel. For the first time since the Apollo missions, a four-person crew is on its way to the moon. Technology from Europe played a decisive role in the critical testing and validation phase of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion capsule. Austrian measurement technology specialist Dewetron supplied high-precision data acquisition systems (DAQ) for NASA's ground and test infrastructure.

More Than 500 Sensors on the Launch Platform

Dewetron's systems are used where extreme environmental conditions and gigantic amounts of data come together. The Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) was a central deployment site. Here, the measuring devices recorded data from over 500 sensors in parallel in order to monitor the extreme vibrations, the sound pressure and the mechanical load (strain/load) on the launch tower and the umbilicals, among other things.

NASA also relied on the measurement technology from Styria for the structural load tests on the Orion capsule (modal testing) and the validation of the capsule rescue system (Launch Abort System) to ensure that the crew's life support systems functioned smoothly.

Decentralized Data Acquisition And Galvanic Isolation

The metrological challenge with a rocket over 295 feet high lies in the distribution of the sensors and the extreme electromagnetic interference during launch. Instead of laying hundreds of metres of analogue cable, NASA used decentralized DAQ chassis close to the sensors, which were synchronized via Ethernet. For example, the Dewetron OXYGEN-NET was used. This enables a setup with well over 1,000 synchronized channels. Highly isolated inputs protected the measurement chains from electromagnetic interference, while the data was simultaneously stored redundantly and analyzed for dangerous resonances in real time using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT).

"Artemis II represents the next big step in human spaceflight. Our technology provides the data basis to ensure that every system functions reliably under these extreme requirements," summarizes Christoph Wiedner, CEO of Dewetron. The DAQ architecture used by NASA (high number of channels, exact synchronization, galvanic isolation) is not only used in space travel, but is also adapted by Dewetron for complex test benches in electromobility or renewable energies. (heh)

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Unfold for details of your consent

Related content