Keynote - SpaceCube - A family of reconfigurable hybrid on-board science data processors

SpaceCube is a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based on-board hybrid science data processing system developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The goal of the SpaceCube program is to provide 10x to 100x improvements in on-board computing power while lowering relative power consumption and cost. The SpaceCube design strategy incorporates commercial rad-tolerant FPGA technology and couples it with an upset mitigation software architecture to provide "order of magnitude" improvements in computing power over traditional rad-hard flight systems. Many of the missions proposed in the Earth Science Decadal Survey (ESDS) will require "next generation" on-board processing capabilities to meet their specified mission goals. Advanced laser altimeter, radar, lidar and hyper-spectral instruments are proposed for at least ten of the Decadal Survey missions, and all of these instrument systems will require advanced on-board processing capabilities to facilitate the timely conversion of Earth Science data into Earth Science information. Both an "order of magnitude" increase in processing power and the ability to "reconfigure on the fly" are required to implement algorithms that detect and react to events, to produce data products on-board for applications such as direct downlink, quick look, and "first responder" real-time awareness, to enable "sensor web" multi-platform collaboration, and to perform on-board "lossless" data reduction by migrating typical ground-based processing functions on-board, thus reducing on-board storage and downlink requirements. This presentation will highlight a number of SpaceCube technology developments to date and describe current and future efforts, including the collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program (DoD/STP) on the STP-H4 ISS experiment pallet (launch June 2013) that will demonstrate SpaceCube 2.0 technology on-orbit. Biography Tom Flatley is a Computer Engineer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and is currently Branch Head of the Science Data Processing Branch. Prior to this assignment he served as Branch Head and senior researcher in the Science Data Systems Branch, and Chief Technologist and Acting Associate Head of the Microelectronics & Signal Processing Branch and Electrical Systems Branch. From 1998-2002 he served as Chief Technologist and Associate Head of the Ground Systems Hardware Branch, and from 1993-1997 he served as head of the Flight Electrical Systems Section and Flight Component Development Group. Prior to this period he developed numerous flight and ground components and subsystems for various NASA missions, beginning in 1985. Mr. Flatley's current work includes the coordination of embedded science data processing technology development and hardware accelerated science data processing activities, with the primary goal of developing re-configurable computing technology and hybrid systems for flight and ground science data processing applications. He also manages several collaborations with government, industry and academic partners, and serves as liaison between technology developers and end users in the science community. Mr. Flatley received a B.S. degree in Engineering (Electrical/Computer) from Loyola College in 1985.