United Electronic Industries (UEI) hardware and I/O are designed with the needs of the space industry in mind. UEI offers cost-effective solutions for a multitude of issues that arise within the space industry. We offer a full suite of control, test and monitoring solutions that go anywhere and everywhere with interchangeable chassis and I/O options for maximum design re-use. UEI Solutions are ideal for the following applications:
From launch pad to International Space Station systems, our hardware is being used to control and monitor a large number of deployed space solutions. Whether the application is military, government funded, or even with our growing list of commercial space customers, our hardware is becoming a staple in the space industry. Our redundancy and control feedback capability are crucial in these environments. UEI is the go-to vendor for hardware and I/O systems.
How Does UEI Support The Space Industry?
UEI Hardware On Board the ISS
NASA Glenn Research Center created an Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) to enable end-to–end development and testing of full-scale electric/hybrid aircraft powertrains. Learn how UEI hardware and I/O supported this initiative. Read about the complete solution
Application Story: UEI & NASA SAFFIRE The SAFFIRE program was designed to study the behaviors and characteristics of fire in space. In order to acquire key data, NASA needed compact and rugged data acquisition hardware and I/O that could handle the rigors of an extreme environment. UEI hardware ensured the success of the SAFFIRE missions by guaranteeing reliable and accurate data collection.
Application Story: UEI & Blue Origin Blue Origin needed to consolidate custom and COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) DAQ and control hardware into one platform to accelerate development, minimize maintenance, and deliver programs on time. UEI's standardized hardware solutions helped Blue Origin save time, accelerate development, and compete in the Space Race. Read about the complete solution
UEI and SpaceX teamed up to get America back into space! Read as John, the Director of Design Verification at UEI, recounts his visit to the Cape Canaveral launch pad. Read the story
UEI is a trusted solution for many of today's most important space companies.
UEI’s HIL solutions help reduce system risks by creating virtual environments to test & verify integrated space application components and software before actual deployment occurs. UEI HIL hardware and I/O can be used to simulate everything from ground control and flight systems to launch and in-orbit systems.
With UEI, you can:
Monitor data from many sensors and many sources
Troubleshoot faults before they occur
Get actionable information for constant system optimization
UEI partners with many government-funded and commercial space launch operators such as Orbital ATK, SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA, and more. UEI offers robust, reliable and scalable launch pad and ground support monitoring and control I/O solutions to meet the environmental demands of rocket launch for manned flight. Northrop Grumman Space Systems has multiple UEI embedded systems (UEIPACs) all time synchronized to 1PPS with software paced by a hardware clock so applications are also synchronized. These systems also monitor thermocouples, voltages, currents and even control valves. With UEI, Northrop Grumman has precise timing capability for shutting everything down simultaneously.
Blue Origin HIL & DAQ Systems
Blue Origin is a Space Exploration company building rocket engines and launch vehicles. Blue Origin had been supplementing UEI’s COTS I/O solutions with home built I/O products. Helping them streamline their engineering resources, UEI co-developed a path forward that involved building out 3 new COTS products using our UEIPAC embedded platform which supported payload controllers, data collection and experiment communication. The UEI solution allowed them to focus on their core mission of developing rockets and engines and the critical tasks to launch successful missions.
Blue Origin also uses UEI’s PowerDNA hosted systems for hardware-in-the-loop simulation of various sensors, whether it be thermocouples, RTDs, synchros, RVDT’s, current loops sensors (4-20mA), speed sensors (such as variable reluctance), and much more. These HIL systems have been critical for testing their New Glenn reusable launch vehicle.
NASA SAFFIRE
SAFFIRE (Spacecraft Fire Safety) was designed to research large-scale flame growth and material flammability in actual space environments. SAFFIRE was tested in Cygnus cargo vehicles (UEI is also the ground control system) in a variety of deployment scenarios. UEI systems recorded and relayed control signals to NASA labs back on earth. Our hardware relayed crucial data that informed NASA scientists how objects aflame behaved in the microgravity environments in space. The information gathered from these experiments helped NASA combat spacecraft combustion. It is impossible to count how many lives and how much money our technology has saved within NASA alone.
NASA NEAT
Hybrid and electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent in modern society and NASA Glenn Research Center in Ohio has raised the bar by creating a new and cutting-edge Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT). This testbed is designed to enable end-to-end development and testing of a full-scale electric/hybrid aircraft powertrain. UEI’s wide range of products, ruggedness and flexibility was the perfect fit for this application. By using UEI’s PowerDNA® data acquisition and control systems, the entire aircraft could be monitored and controlled. Full integration of avionics - ARINC-664, CAN, and sensors into UEI’s platform made it easy for a SCADA system to monitor and control. The PowerDNA system provided dedicated speed and torque commands to handle errors to each motor pair.
NASA Water Storage System
The International Space Station (ISS) has a complex water system designed to store and create clean water for the astronauts staying there, about 530 gallons of water is stored on the ISS. The water storage system (WSS) improves the resupply/wastewater management and iodinated water storage capabilities on the ISS. UEI supplied NASA with hardware and I/O boards to support communication between the components on the ISS, ensuring continuous functionality. UEI has been such a success, we have been utilized in similar NASA applications, such as the UTS (Urine Transfer System), ISS treadmill, and ISS Food Processing Appliance Control System.
Airbus TEXUS Modules
The TEXUS Sounding Rocket Program at Airbus Defense & Space was started in 1976 to provide the scientific community with opportunities to perform technological experiments and research under microgravity conditions. UEI is helping support the upcoming TEXUS 57 launch, which is comprised of 3 research modules and each module is controlled by the UEIPAC system.
This webinar features real-world examples and practical applications, as well as valuable insights, recommendations, and a comprehensive checklist for testing advanced embedded avionics and electronics prior to deployment.
The new UEI Multifunction board combines the functionality of a variety of analog IO, digital IO, TTL, serial and I2C products in a single easy-to-use package. #DAQ #industry #industrial #voltage #analog #digital #serial #I2C
United Electronic Industries (UEI) hardware and I/O are designed with the needs of the space industry in mind. We offer a full suite of control, test and monitoring solutions that go anywhere and everywhere, with interchangeable chassis and I/O options for maximum design re-use. #aerospace #flight #engine #testing #diagnostics #launch #rocket #vehicle
Watch and learn how UEI helps Airbus support TEXUS/MAXUS a Sounding Rocket Program for researchers to perform experiments in microgravity. #Airbus #Rocket #embedded #data #payload #microgravity
NASA Glenn Research Center created an Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) to enable end-to–end development and testing of full-scale electric/hybrid aircraft powertrains. Learn how UEI hardware and I/O supported this initiative. Learn more about UEI and NASA NEAT.
Orbital uses PowerDNA Cubes in their third-generation ground support system Taurus II Rocket Launch System Ground Support Using PowerDNA Cubes and I/O Modules.
Research facility uses PowerDNA cubes, and AI-225 layers with strain-gage sensors to measure high-speed dynamic data from a rocket test stand. Rocket Test Stand with PowerDNA Cube, and AI-225.
NASA’s VMS (Vertical Motion Simulator) complex is a high-fidelity flight simulation system with the capacity to travel vertically and laterally with six degrees of freedom. The VMS provides real-time piloted simulation and realistic sensory cues through six ICAB (Interchangeable Cabin) systems. These systems can be modified to simulate any vehicle, including those still in the design stage — which makes it an invaluable tool for the research and development of new flight vehicles. VMS is also routinely used to train astronauts and pilots, as it provides a no-risk, low-cost hyperrealistic flight experience. Learn more.
The International Space Station (ISS) has a complex water system designed to store and create clean water for its residents, capable of storing as much as 530 gallons of water at any given time. NASA’s ISS upgraded to a new Water Storage System (WSS) and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology. WSS improves the resupply/waste water management and iodinated water storage capabilities of the ISS. When designing the new WSS, NASA needed a way to manage communications, control and monitoring systems within the WSS for simplified management. Securing the right data acquisition and control hardware for this task was critical to maximizing the potential of the new WSS. Learn more.
Nasa's SAFFIRE program was designed to study large flame growth and material flammability limits in microgravity, which will be essential to the design and construction of future spacecraft and the development of informed protocols for dealing with fire emergencies in space. UEI's compact and rugged data acquisition hardware and I/O handled the rigors of an extreme environment and ensured the relay of crucial data back to NASA's scientists. Learn more here.
SpaceX the first successful private space launch operator company has most recently been developing a spacecraft for use in crewed interplanetary spaceflight. With the increasing complexity of each new spacecraft, searching for the right monitoring and control system solution for their ground support equipment was critical to ushering in more successful launches. See how UEI and SpaceX teamed up to get America back into space here.
The TEXUS/MAXUS Sounding Rocket Program at Airbus Defence & Space was initiated in 1976 with the aim to provide to scientists and experimenters the opportunity to perform technological experiments and investigations under microgravity conditions. The program includes the design and construction of the rocket and ground systems, as well as their flight monitoring for experiments in weightlessness. Learn how UEI equipped Airbus's TEXUS/MAXUS with rugged and reliable data acquisition and control hardware here.
When Blue Origin, a space exploration company founded and privately funded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, needed to consolidate custom and COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) data acquisition and control hardware into one platform they looked to UEI for their solution. UEI's standardized hardware solutions helped Blue Origin save time, minimize maintenance, accelerate development, and compete in the space race. Learn more here.