REDMOND, Wash., 2 July 2009. Power Solutions of Crane Aerospace and Electronics, provided power supplies, including the SMRT Series of DC/DC converters to help NASA astronauts repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
A major component and key to repairing the Hubble's power supplies was the Interpoint brand SMRT DC/DC converter. This is the first time the new SMRT converters have been deployed to operate in space, company officials say.
The SMRT Series of DC/DC Converters offer as much as 35 watts of power in a radiation tolerant environment. The converters are ideal for use in programs requiring high reliability, light weight, small size, and high levels of radiation hardening assurance.
"We responded to an urgent need for new power supplies to refurbish the systems on the Hubble Space Telescope. The power supplies being replaced had been functioning for over a decade, allowing the Hubble to keep sending fantastic photographs of our universe," says Jay Kuehny, site technology leader and principal engineer for Crane Electronics Group, Power Solutions, "We helped in the design of the new power supplies and proceeded to develop the hardware in the needed timeframe for NASA's program. This proves that working together as a team can accomplish great things."
With the recent refurbishment, NASA hopes to extend the Hubble's life until 2014. Currently, all of the instruments on the Hubble appear to be functioning well.
