Our Connections Power Your Explorations

Deeply involved in the universe of space travel since the first launch, CarlisleIT engineers deliver next-level interconnect solutions to the space program that help us all explore new worlds. We’ve worked closely with space program engineers on components large and small. They know CarlisleIT can design, build, test, certify and deliver interconnect solutions that meet the unique demands of space travel. We’re fully dedicated to make every component of every mission a success.

Relentlessly Pursuing Discovery

Spacecraft & Launch Vehicles

Building vehicles for the purposes of space travel presents challenges unseen anywhere else. The engineers of CarlisleIT know them well. We’ve been working with the space program from the start.

Our products undergo extensive acceptance testing that exceeds industry standards, from the connector and cable component level to the final delivered product. We also perform qualification testing for the unique requirements of space flight in our own laboratories to make sure our solutions will perform as specified—from integration, through launch, to the end of program life and beyond.

Launch Vehicles
Launchers are complex machines, and require the same kind of interconnects as the payloads they’re delivering. Everything needs to be reliable, performing and the highest level and quality over time.
CarlisleIT on a Mission: NASA’s Perseverance Rover
Our Interconnect technology serves as a communication link between the Mars Helicopter and base command, helping to accomplish the mission – 63 million miles away. Click here for more information.

Satellite Integration

Connecting the world via satellite requires interconnect solutions that meet the strictest tolerances and perform in the harshest conditions. That’s precisely what CarlisleIT delivers.

CarlisleIT has supported the space industry for over 20 years to provide interconnects that control the critical performance parameters that the payload integrator so highly values:

• Low-loss
• Reduced mass
• Thermal stability
• Mechanical integrity
• Approved materials
• Consistent and repeatable performance

Our customers are confident that they can bring the most demanding and ever-changing requirements forward and the CarlisleIT family of products are ready to support the mission technically and logistically.

Ground Support
We support the satellite industry to ensure transmissions are received correctly by control stations without loss of signal integrity. We use the same interconnect components for testing and ground support as the satellites themselves to help prevent any mismatch of signal or power.

Test
CarlisleIT works with satellite integrators and equipment manufacturers to test and verify the functionality of the assembled products prior to launch, helping to guarantee reliable performance throughout the life cycle of the mission.

Deep Space Exploration

Working with the space program for over five decades, our people have extensive knowledge of the unique challenges presented by space travel.

Our high-reliability, space-grade products have played a role in countless missions. With our heritage in the space program to date, we offer:

• Engineering
• Design
• Production
• Testing

From new space capsules and vehicles to discover and explore new worlds, CarlisleIT engineers are working with new and innovative companies to bring their ideas and applications to life — to perhaps discover life elsewhere or bring life from earth to extreme environments somewhere else.

RF Power Handling

The performance parameters that must be addressed when considering power handling within the spaceflight environment are the three main failure mechanisms that can lead to RF breakdown: Thermal limitations of the materials, multipaction, and ionization.

Multipaction
Keeping power completely within an interconnect requires more than just shielding stray electrons from bouncing around a vacuum. Proper design and quality construction are essential for all interconnects within a system. One bad cable can ruin an entire system. CarlisleIT engineers understand the complexities and challenges that arise from multipaction, and are experts at keeping electrons moving along their desired transmission path.

Ionization
CarlisleIT implements the highest quality controls during the design and assembly processes to control the critical geometries, venting, and cleanliness to prevent the risk of a partial atmosphere or outgassing constituents becoming trapped within the transmission path leading to a corona and eventual RF breakdown.

CarlisleIT Space Interconnect Products Key Characteristics

  • Electrical testing for AC, DC, RF, fiber optic-based products, including EMC
  • Mechanical testing facilities for shock, vibration, crush resistance, and flex
  • Environmental testing to various Mil-Def standards
  • Overmolding capability
  • 2D and 3D form board mockups
  • Assembly test capabilities
    • X-ray, electrical length
    • Skew
    • Impedance (characteristic, differential, common mode)
    • Insertion loss, return loss/VSWR
    • TDR (time domain reflectometry)
    • Eye patter, jitter
    • Bit error rate testing (BERT) crosstalk
    • Propagation delay Rise time, fall time, rise time degradation
    • Continuity/DC resistance
    • Hipot/dielectric strength
  • Trainers and operations are space certified IPC-A-620 (including space addendum)
    • IPC-J-STD-001 (including space addendum)
    • IPC-A-610
    • IPC-A-600
    • NASA-8739.1 polymetric applications
    • NASA-8739.2 surface mount
    • NASA-8739.3 soldering
    • NASA-8739.4 crimping and wiring
    • NASA-8739.5 fiber optic terminations

Products

Cable Assemblies
» Flexible
» Space Flight
» Ultra-lightweight
» Semi-Rigid
» Delay Lines
» Fabricated Cables
» Harnesses

Cable
» Flexible
» Semi-Rigid
» Hand-Formable

Connectors
» Space-Grade
» High-Density
» Self-Locking

EMI Shielding
» ARACON EMI Shielding

Resources

» Space-Grade Cable Assembly
Integration manual (.pdf)» UTiFLEX Cable Selection Guide» Space Capabilities Brochure (.pdf)
©2021 Carlisle Interconnect Technologies. All Rights Reserved.
All trademarks, service marks and trade names are property of their respective holding companies.
CarlisleIT products are subject to U.S. export control regulations.
They may be subject to certain licensing requirements and restricted for export. 
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