Alta’s MIL-STD-1553 Interface Card Demonstrates Readiness for the Harshest of Environments
Rio Rancho, NM (January 31, 2023) – Alta Data Technologies, LLC (Alta) is excited to announce that Aerostar has selected Alta’s MIL-STD-1553 network product for a payload flown in a recent multi-balloon campaign involving their Thunderhead Balloon system. With over 65 years of lighter-than-air innovation and expertise, Aerostar is a world leader in the design, manufacture, integration, and operation of stratospheric balloon platforms and airships for near space applications.
Thunderhead
By leveraging directional wind patterns at high altitudes, Aerostar’s Thunderhead Balloon Systems offer groundbreaking capabilities for navigation and persistence over areas of interest. With Thunderhead Balloon Systems, controlled flight and long duration capabilities can be planned and executed at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional stratospheric platforms. Thunderhead Balloon Systems can be flown in constellations or individually to support a wide range of mission requirements. Affording users land-based and maritime launch platforms, applications are dynamic and diverse.
A key to Aerostar’s innovation is their advanced, cost-effective flight vehicle, which utilizes commercial off the shelf (COTS) capabilities such as Alta’s MPCIE2-1553 interface card for this mission. Long duration, stratospheric applications are not the friendliest operating environment for most COTS products, so diligent attention must be made to select and screen only the most robust, quality partners. “Aerostar selected Alta’s MIL-STD-1553 interface to support high-altitude Tactical Data Link (TDL) radio testing. Alta’s standard COTS card survived the challenging temperature and pressure conditions in near-space (50,000-70,000 ft) for over two weeks of flight time, providing a rock-solid link in the chain of control for our payload. In addition, Alta’s rapid delivery and support removed one more area of worry from our design and manufacturing processes,” says Eric Ramsey, Engineering Program Manager, Aerostar.
Harry Wild, Alta’s VP of Sales states, “Aerostar’s lighter-than-air platforms have helped NASA, Google, the U.S. Air Force, and many other customers achieve and exceed dynamic missions, including communications, data relay, surveillance, intelligence, and more. Filling the capability gap between aircraft and satellites, their stratospheric balloon platforms and airships offer critical advantages to a wide range of missions. We strive to provide the best possible, no-risk 1553 and ARINC products to our customers, and it is an honor to work on Aerostar’s projects.”
About Aerostar
With its’ lighter-than-air innovation and expertise, Aerostar is dedicated to connecting, protecting, and saving lives. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Aerostar provides world-leading solutions in the aerospace and defense market, focused on stratospheric balloon systems and radar solutions. Learn more at www.aerostar.com
About Alta Data Technologies
Alta is a rapidly growing, private company that provides industry leading MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC COTS avionics interface products. Alta’s products are offered in high-density channel counts and Ethernet converters. Products include 1553 and ARINC interfaces for PCI Express, PMC, XMC for various computer systems such as VPX, VME, cPCI/PXI, PXIe, Mini PCI Express. Learn more at www.altadt.com
