With the development of the Hydro4M2 payload in full swing, each subsystem is now closer to full integration. The On-board Computer (OBC) and the Power and Peripherals Board (PPB) together form the brain of the payload. The OBC executes the flight software and communicates with the Nyx orbital flight vehicle and with the various sensors and actuators in the payload, including the PPB. The PPB, on the other hand, receives power from Nyx and distributes it to various power consuming components including the OBC – symbiotic relationship!
Hydro4M2 uses a Raspberry Pi as its OBC – a standard, reliable and open-source computer used in multiple applications which simplifies the control architecture so we can focus on the core process itself.
The PPB is being developed in-house through collaboration with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. It is a relatively complex piece of hardware which must satisfy The Exploration Company’s (TEC) and Hydromars’ requirements as they relate to the electrical, mechanical and material aspects of the payload. In flight, they will be implemented in a stacked configuration to minimize the total footprint and length of wiring.
The rigors of space very often require fully automated solutions. Human involvement, from the ground or in-situ, is limited to either specialized tasks (too difficult or delicate for machines) or general oversight. While this is the first time Hydromars is building space-rated control architecture, we look forward to increase the level of automation and power + data optimization in longer and/or uninhabited missions in the not-too-distant future!
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