Aeroflex's Motion Control Division has announced thatthe Aeroflex provided Solar Array and High-Gain Antenna actuators and controllers aboard the MRO spacecraft (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) performed perfectly during the recently completed Mars orbit insertion burn.
The Aeroflex specially designed controllers and actuators will provide extraordinarily smooth
motion of the Solar Panels and High-Gain Antenna. This feature allows the spacecraft to
continuously perform imaging activities of the Martian surface while articulating both the solar panels and High-Gain antenna.
The actuators employ the popular Aeroflex Zero-Cogging Brushless DC motors and multi-speed
resolvers. The actuators are driven by an FPGA based, 4-channel, radiation hardened controller
provided by Aeroflex. Circuit Card Assembly and a majority of the radiation hardened
components were provided by the Aeroflex Microelectronics Solutions division.
