IR HiRel Supplies Rad-Hard Components for NASA’s JWST
The company previously provided rad-hard power electronics for NASA’s first flagship space observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990.
IR HiRel has supplied mission-critical radiation-hardened (rad-hard) components for James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which is getting launched on Saturday, 25 December by NASA at 12:20 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is 7:20 am local time at the launch site, 1:20 pm Central European Time, and 4:20 am Pacific Standard Time.
European Space Agency (ESA) will provide launch services on an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
“With JWST expected to operate 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, it will face deep space conditions far more extreme than Hubble,” said Chris Opoczynski, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IR HiRel. “The spacecraft bus provides vital support functions for the telescope’s operation, not the least of which is power distribution, command, control and data handling, etc. Using IR HiRel’s rad-hard power conversion solutions assures long-lived, highly reliable performance for this historic mission.”
The company previously provided rad-hard power electronics for NASA’s first flagship space observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990.
An international partnership with ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, JWST will succeed Hubble Space Telescope as NASA’s premier space observatory for the next decade.
Once operational, the infrared telescope will extend Hubble’s discoveries to help scientists understand all phases of cosmic history and search for signs of possible habitability among thousands of recently discovered exoplanets.
Several spacecraft bus subsystems, such as electrical power, attitude control, communications, and command and data handling, integrate IR HiRel space-grade DC-DC converters, rad-hard MOSFETs and other power control products that ensure reliable operation in the harsh deep space environment.
Infineon and IR HiRel offer a unique portfolio of high-reliability, rad-hard memory, RF solutions and power conversions for space and other rugged environments. Flight-proven HiRel products are used throughout spacecraft electrical and payload systems.
