{"id":44539,"date":"2020-07-29T07:07:20","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T11:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=44539"},"modified":"2020-07-29T07:07:20","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T11:07:20","slug":"nasas-scan-testbed-was-an-orbiting-multi-function-sdr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/nasas-scan-testbed-was-an-orbiting-multi-function-sdr\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA’s SCAN testbed was an orbiting multi-function SDR"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

SCAN Testbed (Source: NASA)<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor Dan (VR2HF) who writes:<\/p>\n

“This looks like the world’s most expensive SDR to me. And a little mysterious. Like quantum computing!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Source: NASA<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\n

Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed<\/h1>\n

The SCAN Testbed, formerly known as Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), served as a test facility for NASA research on radio communications and the\u00a0Global Positioning System (GPS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

SCAN Testbed on International Space Station (Source: NASA)<\/p><\/div>\n

The SCAN Testbed was launched on July 20, 2012 on a Japanese H-IIB Transfer Vehicle and installed in the\u00a0International Space Station<\/a>\u00a0to provide an on-orbit, adaptable\u00a0software-defined radio (SDR)<\/a>\u00a0facility with corresponding ground and operational systems. This permitted mission operators to remotely change the functionality of radio communications through software once deployed to space, offering them flexibility to adapt to new science opportunities and recover from anomalies within the science payload or communication system.<\/p>\n

The SCAN Testbed payload was used to conduct a variety of experiments with the goal of further advancing other technologies, reducing risks on other space missions, and enabling future mission capabilities.<\/p>\n

After seven successful years, and more than 4,200 hours of testing, it\u00a0was decommissioned June 3, 2019 as it burned up in the trunk of SpaceX CRS-17 upon reentry into Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

To learn more:
\nCommunications Testbed Leaves Legacy of Pioneering Technology\u00a0<\/a>
\n2019 Space Technology Hall of Fame: Ka-Band Software-Defined Radio (SDR)\/Harris AppSTAR\u2122 Architecture<\/a>
\nNASA’s Space Communications\u00a0Testbed<\/a>
\nUnique\u00a0Testbed\u00a0Soon will be in Space<\/a>
\nSCAN\u00a0Testbed\u00a0Celebrates One Year Anniversary<\/a>
\nGlenn Research Center SCAN Testbed<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thank you for sharing this, Dan! I had never heard of the SCAN testbed. I can only imagine what it might have been capable of accomplishing from orbit. I dare say there are even more powerful SDRs orbiting the planet at this moment!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan (VR2HF) who writes: “This looks like the world’s most expensive SDR to me. And a little mysterious. Like quantum computing!” (Source: NASA) Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed The SCAN Testbed, formerly known as Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), served as a test facility for NASA […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[6546,1672,8700,157,4087],"class_list":["post-44539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-dan-van-hoy","tag-nasa","tag-scan-testbed","tag-sdr","tag-software-defined-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-bAn","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":34627,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/10\/sstv-special-event-from-the-international-space-station-on-saturday-october-27\/","url_meta":{"origin":44539,"position":0},"title":"SSTV Special Event from the International Space Station on Saturday, October 27","author":"Thomas","date":"October 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: ARRL News) Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has scheduled a slow-scan television (SSTV) event to begin on Saturday, October 27, at about 1000 UTC. 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