IC2 proposes to develop a battery-operated, low power, small form factor wireless data-acquisition (DAQ) system which has been appropriately hardened for use in spacecraft. This system will include the ability to remain dormant for at least two years while remaining capable of immediate activation on demand. Once activated, the system will acquire sensor data for at least one month. The proposed system utilizes a distributed wireless sensor network to mitigate the challenges related to sensor installation, including technological, logistical, weight, and cost barriers. Because the proposed system uses wireless communication, it does not require penetrating or damaging the vehicle skin and provides the end-user with the ability to deploy more sensors due to a relaxation of cable routing and weight requirements. Limiting the cable routing requirements reduces installation effort over current systems and provides for substantially more flexible sensor placement options.
The primary target application for the system is spacecraft instrumentation, while other applications requiring environmentally hardened low power wireless instrumentation could also be supported by the system’s capabilities. Funding will be used to establish target specifications and requirements based on NASA input and design constraints, develop the concept and proposal for a system level deployment, develop the conceptual design for a prototype system, build a functional prototype, and characterize the results.