Celestia STS delivers RF Suitcase for ESA’s SAR NIMBUS

After intensive testing in the Celestia STS (C-STS) laboratory, C-STS delivered the RF Suitcase for the IRIDE Programme SAR NUMBUS Constellation.

The RF Suitcase is an integrated RF subsystem for ground station and satellite radio frequency compatibility testing. It integrates part of the real spacecraft RF chain into a transportable system that can generate representative Telemetry at RF level and receive Telecommands. The purpose of the RF Suitcase is to allow a ground station or Ground Station Reference Facility to verify that the ground station equipment is compatible with the spacecraft and vice-versa. Celestia STS has delivered the RF Suitcase for many ESA missions including XMM, Integral, Rosetta, Galileo, Sentinel-1 and Euclid.

The IRIDE RF Suitcase includes:

A C-STS TM&TC Interface and Processing Unit which provides direct control of spacecraft, using baseband interfaces during spacecraft development, assembly, integration, test (AIT) and launch phases
A C-STS WizardLink Front End which provides high-speed serial interfaces to spacecraft flight equipment
A C-STS Multi-Purpose Interface Platform (MPIP) a modular, scalable electrical ground support equipment (EGSE)
The ICU RF Subsystem (IRS) which is in essence the “nervous system” of the satellite’s communication network, enabling it to send and receive data, control its functions, and interact with the ground stations.

The IRIDE-SAR-NIMBUS satellites are part of the IRIDE earth observation constellation built by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) with the support of ESA. IRIDE stands as one of Europe’s foremost space programme’s in the field of Earth observation. Initiated by the Italian Government, the programme’s development is primarily based in Italy, benefitting from funding through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the National Complementary Plan (NCP).

European Union Next Generation EU Celestia-STS C-STS

Carried out under an ESA Contract for the purposes of EO PNRR IRIDE PROGRAMME.

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