Fraunhofer IIS opens laboratory in space

Research Fraunhofer IIS opens laboratory in space

2024-04-24 Updated on 2024-04-24 Source: Press release | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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Extreme conditions prevail in space, which present a challenging task for satellite communication. With the Fraunhofer On-Board Processor (FOBP), experiments can be conducted in space to research whether new technologies also function under real conditions.

The trial run: In a thermal vacuum chamber, the FOBP prepared for real deployment under simulated space conditions.(Image: Fraunhofer IIS / Paul Pulkert) — The trial run: In a thermal vacuum chamber, the FOBP prepared for real deployment under simulated space conditions.
(Image: Fraunhofer IIS / Paul Pulkert)

Satellite communication often faces the dilemma that more powerful technologies can only be used when their functionality has been proven in space. This delays progress and hampers the innovation potential of the satellite industry. To overcome this hurdle, Fraunhofer IIS has opened a laboratory in space with the FOBP, which is equipped with a special feature: even at a height of 36,000 kilometers (22,400 miles), the payload of the satellite can be controlled from Earth at any time and reprogrammed for different use cases. "You can think of it like a smartphone that installs updates to meet new requirements," says Rainer Wansch, head of the "HF and SatCom systems" department.

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