NASA INSTALLS CUSTOM JUPITER OLS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER NASA tasked SLS with designing a custom Jupiter Optical Lightning Surveillance (OLS) system to replace a legacy high-speed camera. The initial system was installed on the roof of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where it provides continuous lightning monitoring for Launch Complex 39B. The Jupiter OLS […]

NASA AWARDS SLS WITH CONTRACT FOR CUSTOM LIGHTNING MONITORING SYSTEM The NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) awarded SLS with a contract to develop a custom, portable single-station lightning monitoring system. The system will locate nearby lightning strikes, measure the electromagnetic fields, and estimate the return stroke peak currents. Operators will utilize the data to help

SOLAR FARM LIGHTNING VULNERABILITY STUDY Solar farms can be particularly vulnerable to lightning-related damage if proper protection measures are not implemented. SLS recently performed a lightning vulnerability study for a large solar farm in North Florida. The solar farm had previously experienced damage as a direct result of lightning. SLS executed a thorough drawing review

SLS PERFORMS LABORATORY COMPONENT FAILURE ANALYSES FOR NASA LSP NASA LSP (Launch Service Program) at the Kennedy Space Center tasked SLS with performing laboratory failure analyses of space-grade integrated circuits that have been prone to damage from external electrical transients (mostly lightning related) during past missions. SLS engineers designed custom circuit boards to inject precision

SLS HAND-HELD IMPULSE GENERATOR IN USE In February 2021, NASA Engineers used SLS’ hand-held impulse generator to verify the performance of the down-conductor current measurements on the Launch Complex 39B lightning protection system. LC-39B will support NASA’s upcoming Artemis I mission. The portable device fits in a small rugged case, requires no external power source,

SLS DESIGNS CUSTOM HARDWARE TO SUPPORT NASA’S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM VEHICLE In 2020, SLS was approached by NASA to assess the vulnerability of some Space Launch System circuits at the Stennis Space Center B-2 test stand. NASA decided to engage SLS to design an enclosure to be installed between the test stand and the vehicle

FALCON 9 MANNED LAUNCH LIGHTNING MONITORING SLS’ network of Jupiter OLS and Jupiter TMS lightning monitoring systems kept a watchful eye over Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center last week as SpaceX prepared to launch American astronauts from US soil for the first time since 2011. Fortunately, the lightning activity that resulted in

SLS PERFORMS GROUNDING SIMULATION FOR GORDIE HOWE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE PROJECT SLS worked with both AECOM and Dominion Lightning Rod of Dundas, Ontario to create a computer-based model of the grounding system for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will connect Detroit, Michigan and Ontario, Canada. SLS performed a series of complex grounding simulations to

SLS DEPLOYS METEOROLOGICAL STATION AT COMMERCIAL LAUNCH PAD SLS was contracted by a commercial launch provider to design and install custom meteorological monitoring stations at their launch pad. Prior to the main equipment deployment during summer 2020, SLS installed a single station to provide real-time wind, temperature, and relative humidity measurements during the construction phase. Data are

SLS PROVIDES CUSTOM JUPITER TMS UNITS FOR B-2 TEST STAND AT STENNIS SPACE CENTER SLS custom designed two Jupiter TMS units for installation on the B-2 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center. The systems will continuously capture the outputs of Rogowski current probes installed on the umbilical cables to the massive Space Launch System core