GA-EMS Delivers Spacecraft Simulator Supporting NASA Solar Irradiance Program

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has delivered to the University of Colorado a simulator of a spacecraft that would measure solar irradiance and provide long-term climate data.

The Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 simulator allows users to send and verify commands, receive thermistor data and provide information on vehicle health and telemetry. It can also test system performance, payload interfaces and pre-flight functions.

The simulator was delivered to CU’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and will support the TSIS-2 spacecraft program, General Atomics said.

Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said the simulator would allow users to test the communication capabilities and functionality of the TSIS-2 payload. He added that the simulator is the first of its kind that GA designed, programmed, built and delivered.

The TSIS-2 spacecraft program is a NASA initiative that will measure the Sun’s energy input to Earth. It comprises the Total Irradiance Monitor, which measures how much brightness the Sun delivers to Earth, and the Spectral Irradiance Monitor, which measures spectral irradiance over a wavelength range that includes 96 percent of the solar spectrum energy.

The payloads are supplied by CU LASP and are installed on the contractor’s GA-150 satellite bus.