Multi-band software defined radio for spaceborne communications, navigation, radio science, and sensors

Demanding mass and power requirements across many low-cost NASA mission sets (Discovery, New Frontiers, Mars Scout, SMEX, MIDEX, and others) place a premium on lightweight, efficient, and versatile radios. A low power, low mass, modular, multi-band software-defined radio (SDR) has been developed by JHU/APL, under the name Frontier Radio, for use in communications, navigation, radio science, and sensor applications for a variety of NASA missions. The current SDR implementation features communications and Doppler navigation modes, and provides a highly capable platform to build upon for future technology enhancements. Features such as in-band channel assignment, bit rate, modulation format, turnaround ratio, loop bandwidths, and coding formats are reconfigurable in flight. Modularity within the core hardware and firmware platforms enable infusion of new technology with minimal non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs. Current configurations operate within the NASA S, X (under development), and Ka-bands (26 and 32 GHz), though alternate RF slices may be added and/or substituted for other bands or sensor applications. This SDR is currently capable of transmit data rates up to 25 Mbps (and higher with 8/16 PSK/QAM) and receive data rates up to 1.3 Mbps via QPSK, with significantly higher capability under development. Compatibility with NASA´s STRS architecture helps promote the use of this SDR throughout the NASA community. Along with its low power (5 W receive mode w/internal ovenized oscillator and 28 V bus power) and low mass (1.8/2.1 kg, single/dual band configuration), this SDR offers missions a combination of capabilities and efficiency. The NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission is currently developing a flight implementation of this SDR (S-Band only), with launch planned for the year 2012.