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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, March 19, 2018 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Photo of David Petrick

David Petrick

"NASA Mission Use of the SpaceCube Hybrid Data Processing System"

ABSTRACT -- The award-winning SpaceCube v2.0 system is a high performance, reconfigurable, hybrid data processing system that can be used in a multitude of applications including those that require a radiation hardened and reliable solution. This presentation provides an overview of the design architecture, flexibility, and the advantages of the modular SpaceCube v2.0 data processing system for space applications.

The current state of the proven SpaceCube technology is based on 11 years of engineering and operations. Eight systems have been successfully operated in space starting in 2008 with eight more to be delivered for payload integration in 2018 in support of various missions.

This presentation will highlight how this multipurpose system is currently being used to solve design challenges in a variety of independent applications. The SpaceCube hardware adapts to new system requirements by allowing for application-unique interface cards that are utilized by reconfiguring the underlying programmable elements on the core processor card. This presentation will show how this system is being used to improve on a heritage NASA GPS technology, enable a cutting-edge LiDAR instrument and "asteroid-finder" instrument, and serve as more than just a typical command and data handling (C&DH) computer for a space robotics technology demonstration.

Finally, this presentation will highlight the use of the SpaceCube v2.0 system on the Restore-L robotic satellite servicing mission. SpaceCube v2.0 is the central avionics responsible for the real-time vision system and autonomous robotic control necessary to find, capture, and service a national asset weather satellite.

SPEAKER -- David Petrick started his career at NASA in 2000 as a co-op student. He is currently the Avionics Lead Technologist within the Satellite Servicing Projects Division, Principal Engineer for the Science Data Processing Branch, and Avionics Mission Integrator on the Restore-L flight project.

He has a wide range of experience building and managing Xilinx FPGA-based systems for space flight including FPGA design, radiation mitigation, PCB design, reconfigurable system design, and mission operations. He was the lead design engineer on the SpaceCube v1.0 and v2.0 processor cards including embedded systems framework, FPGA core development, and electrical design, responsible engineer for the Relative Navigation Sensors SpaceCube system build, delivery, and space shuttle payload operations, lead engineer for many SpaceCube hardware deliveries to the International Space Station, and chief engineer for the latest SpaceCube v2.0 system.

Dave supports many Goddard flight projects as a discipline expert. Dave holds five US Patents and was recently awarded the Innovator of the Year Award and the Moe Schneebaum engineering award. Dave graduated valedictorian with a BSEE from University of Pittsburgh and has a MSEE from the Johns Hopkins University.

Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov