BAE makes new radiation-hardened computers

MANASSAS, Va., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- BAE Systems is producing new radiation-hardened computers for U.S. military and commercial satellites.

"Two BAE Systems RAD750 radiation-hardened single-board computers are managing the command and control functions on board the WorldView-1 satellite, launched Sept. 18 aboard a Delta II rocket," the company said in a statement last week.

"WorldView-1 was built by Ball Aerospace and owned and operated by DigitalGlobe in Colorado. It is part of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s NextView program, which will provide high-resolution images of Earth. NextView is a new generation of imaging satellites capable of collecting geospatial intelligence in support of national security," BAE Systems said.

"The first satellite in the NextView program, WorldView-1 will collect, store, and down-link more frequently updated imagery than any other commercial imaging satellite in orbit," it said.

"The two RAD750 computers were delivered to Ball Aerospace of Boulder, Colorado, builder of WorldView-1. WorldView-1 is the 10th satellite now operational in space with RAD750s in control," BAE Systems said.

“Within the next two years, more than 150 RAD750s will be launched into space on a variety of civil, commercial, and DOD satellites,” said Vic Scuderi, business area manager for space products at BAE Systems in Manassas, Va. “WorldView-1 is an important platform for delivering more real-time data to help war fighters make key decisions on the ground, in the air, or on the seas.”

BAE Systems described the RAD750 as "a licensed radiation-hardened version of the IBM PowerPC 750."

"A third-generation microprocessor with almost 10 times the performance of current space processors, RAD750 is the follow-on to BAE Systems’ highly successful and space-proven RAD6000 family of processors," the company said.