Innoflight, a pioneer in cyber secure space avionics, announced that its Compact Flight Computer (CFC-400XS) supported the Artemis II mission's 70-minute Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) demonstration. The demonstration was a key milestone in advancing human deep space exploration through the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.
The RPO maneuver was conducted between NASA's Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System's (SLS) Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). During this operation, Orion executed a series of navigation exercises, including both manual and automated maneuvers, demonstrating precise control while operating near another spacecraft.
The CFC-400XS is Innoflight's low-size, weight and power (SWaP) flight computer designed for missions requiring both high-performance computing and resilient operation in space environments. Developed for deterministic real-time processing and high-reliability avionics, the system supports guidance, navigation and control functions aboard Orion. Under contract with Lockheed Martin, NASA's prime contractor for Orion, Innoflight is delivering 26 CFC-400XS units for the Orion spacecraft in support of Artemis II through Artemis V missions.
"Innoflight's CFC-400XS has established a strong flight heritage across both Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), with more than 50 units successfully launched to date," said Lance Jackola, Orion Program Manager at Innoflight. "We previously supported Lockheed Martin's LINUSS™ mission, which deployed two LM 50™ 12U on-orbit demonstration CubeSats equipped with our CFC-400XS. The advancement to a crewed lunar mission underscores the proven reliability, radiation tolerance, fault resilience, and high-performance capabilities of our avionics in the demanding deep-space environment."
The CFC-400XS combines a high-performance processing subsystem, based on the defense-grade AMD UltraScale+™ MPSoC (Multiprocessor System-on-Chip). It features a high-reliability supervisor subsystem powered by a radiation-hardened VORAGO Technologies VA4 microcontroller that continuously monitors system health and autonomously responds to radiation effects.
The Artemis II RPO demonstration serves as a critical testbed for future Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) capabilities. These operations will be essential for upcoming missions involving docking between Orion, lunar landers, and other vehicles as needed as part of the broader Artemis program.
Click here to learn more about Innoflight's CFC-400XS
