Mercury Systems Selected by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Mercury Systems Inc. was selected by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to provide solid-state data recorders (SSDRs) for NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) science mission.

The earth imaging spectrometer instrument containing SSDRs is scheduled for launch to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022.

The EMIT mission maps the surface mineralogy of arid dust source regions and aids in improving forecasts of the role of mineral dust in the warming or cooling of the Earth’s atmosphere. By mapping the composition of areas that produce mineral dust, EMIT will advance the understanding of dust’s effects to the Earth system and to human populations now and in the future.

“Developing high-tech electronics that survive launch and extended-lifetime operation in space is no easy task,” said Chris Opoczynski, VP and GM, Mercury Data. “Mercury’s solid-state data recorders are purpose-built to support the need for ultra-reliable and agile radiation-tolerant storage devices. This focus on reliability and agility is part of our commitment to reducing our customers’ program risk and cost with our portfolio of secure, space-qualified products utilizing our industry-leading commercial technology.“

For more than 35 years, Mercury has held a position in the design and manufacture of space-qualified components and assemblies for defense primes, government agencies, the scientific community and commercial customers. The company has delivered more than 20,000 space-qualified devices with no in-flight failures. Its custom microelectronics solutions are radiation-tolerant and purpose-built to operate in the harsh environment of space, on more than 65 satellite and launch vehicle programs, including every Mars Rover expedition.

Operating at the intersection of high-tech and defense, Mercury is making secure mission-critical technologies profoundly more accessible.