Press Release: Cobham space grade products launch aboard Iridium NEXT

Cobham’s products and services contributed to the recent successful orbital deployment of Iridium NEXT satellites.  Cobham’s antennas, motion control solutions, and RadHard microelectronics enable various Iridium NEXT systems. Iridium NEXT is the company’s next-generation satellite constellation which replaces and enhances Iridium’s existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites.

“Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions is proud to contribute to the next generation of commercial telecommunication space satellites,” said Jeff Hassannia, Senior Vice-President of Business Development and Technology. “The breadth of our offerings enable key aspects of spacecraft, including: robust and reliable motion control solutions, RadHard  microelectronic solutions, and antennas. Our continuing technology investments in these areas demonstrate our commitment to the success of our customers in this market.”

Cobham motion control solutions on Iridium NEXT include actuators for the solar array drive and solar array second axis, while flat plate antennas are used for the inter-satellite links, providing communications between satellites of the Iridium NEXT constellation.

Cobham RadHard microelectronics contributing to Iridium NEXT include power supply solutions, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), LEON microprocessors and intellectual property, SpaceWire transceivers, 1553 transceivers, NOR flash and SDRAM memories, clock drivers, and MSI Logic.  Additionally, four separate Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) perform control and data switching for various aspects of Iridium NEXT.

Please visit www.cobham.com/space for information about Cobham’s satellite offering. 

About Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions

We provide critical solutions for communication on land, at sea, and in the air and space, by moving data through off-the-shelf and customized products and subsystems including RF, microwave, and high reliability microelectronics, antenna apertures and motion control solutions.

Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions supplies defense, aerospace, security, medical, and industrial markets.

About Cobham

The most important thing we build is trust.

Cobham is a leading global technology and services innovator, respected for providing solutions to the most challenging problems, from deep space to the depths of the ocean.

We employ more than 11,500 people on five continents, and have customers and partners in over 100 countries, with market leading positions in: wireless, audio, video and data communications, including satellite communications; defence electronics; air-to-air refuelling; aviation services; life support and mission equipment.