Beyond Gravity unveils modular satellite electronics and expands product line

Beyond Gravity unveils modular satellite electronics and expands product line
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 19, 2024
Beyond Gravity, a prominent space industry supplier based in Switzerland, has launched a modular electronics platform called FoX, designed for satellites and featuring off-the-shelf components. This new platform includes single-board computers, navigation receivers, mass memory units, and time-sensitive networking (TSN) Ethernet switches, among other components. Tom Seeman, Director of Marketing and Sales Electronics at Beyond Gravity, stated, "Our electronics platform is very flexible and delivers high performance at affordable price.

"Our solution is highly reliable based on our 50 years of experience for space electronics. Our platform's applications include spacecraft control, edge/payload processing, payload/robotics control, GNSS receiver, cloud computing and much more." The FoX platform is versatile, functioning across various orbits, such as low Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, and cislunar space.

Expanding its product range, Beyond Gravity is now one of the leading global manufacturers of electric satellite thruster pointing mechanisms, with 100 units contracted. "We see especially high demand for our two-axis pointing mechanism product family," said Dominik Inschlag, Director of Marketing and Sales for Thermal and Mechanisms. The APPMAX2 series, designed for various sizes from small-scale mechanisms to large units like the APPMAX2-Heavy, is set to be used on NASA's Gateway space station, controlling a 50-kilogram thruster.

The rise in the use of electric satellite thrusters, which employ ionized gases propelled by strong electric fields, has driven the need for precise steering mechanisms. Beyond Gravity's APPMAX line includes scalable, cost-effective solutions, which can be paired with proprietary drive electronics for enhanced reliability.

The company also reports robust demand for its solar array drive mechanisms, essential for orienting satellite solar panels toward the Sun. "This year we sold more than 60 units of our solar array drive mechanisms," noted Stefan Wismer, Sales Manager. Beyond Gravity stands as the sole European supplier offering an extensive range of these mechanisms, suitable for applications from microsatellites to large-scale telecommunication and Earth observation satellites.

In addition to these advancements, Beyond Gravity has secured USD 20 million in orders for structural satellite panels. The panels are manufactured at its Titusville, Florida, facility using an automated potting process that significantly cuts production time from 30 minutes to just 1.5 minutes per insert. This increase in efficiency is supported by the site's third Automated Potting Machine, enabling the production of up to 36 panels weekly.

The company's constellation On Board Computer (cOBC), another standout product, has reached over 300 units sold, with the largest order placed this past summer. Beyond Gravity will supply more than 200 of these computers, complete with navigation receivers and antennas, to MDA's AURORATM supply chain, supporting the Telesat Lightspeed low Earth orbit satellite constellation. The cOBCs, built with commercial components for reliability and volume production, offer comprehensive functions like on-board processing, GNSS reception, ground communication, and interfaces for both platforms and payloads.