Maxwell’s SCS750 SBCs Will Manage Payload Data for Three-Year Mission to Investigate Composition of Greenhouse Gases and Effect of Solar Radiation on Earth’s Environment
Maxwell Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: MXWL) has delivered its first space-qualified SCS750 single board computers (SBC) to Orbital Sciences Corp., prime contractor for NASA’s Glory earth sciences mission.
The SBCs will manage payload data for Glory, a three-year mission that will investigate the composition of greenhouse gases and the effect of solar radiation on the earth’s environment. Orbital is building the satellite bus and will manage the December 2008 launch and control the spacecraft for the duration of the mission. Glory’s payloads will include an aerosol polarimetry sensor and cloud cameras to collect visible and infrared data, and a total irradiance monitor to measure solar radiation.
“We determined that the Maxwell SCS750 was the best fit for reliability, function, and cost for the Glory needs,” said Tom Itchkawich, the Glory Program Director. “We feel that this will be an excellent processor solution that will give us the flexibility to accommodate future growth in mission requirements.”
Larry Longden, general manager of Maxwell’s Microelectronics Group, said that the SCS750’s industry-leading processing power will allow Orbital to manage all of the satellite’s data management functions, and that Maxwell’s proprietary component shielding technology and system-level architecture enable the SBC to withstand the effects of environmental radiation to provide error-free performance in space.
The SCS750 is based on a “triple modular redundancy” architecture in which three commercial IBM PowerPC 750(TM) processors run the same program at all times and “vote” on each operation. If one of the processors suffers a radiation-induced upset and disagrees with the other two, the system is automatically resynchronised and resumes error-free operation. Maxwell’s proprietary shielding and packaging technology protect other components on the board from radiation effects. About Orbital Sciences: Orbital develops and manufactures small space and rocket systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low- orbit, geosynchronous and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite- based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. For more information, please visit Orbital’s website at www.orbital.com .
About Maxwell: Maxwell is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions. Our radiation-mitigated microelectronic products include power modules, memory modules and single board computers that incorporate powerful commercial silicon for superior performance and high reliability in aerospace applications. Our BOOSTCAP® ultracapacitor cells and multi- cell modules provide safe and reliable power solutions for applications in consumer and industrial electronics, transportation and telecommunications. Our CONDIS® high-voltage grading and coupling capacitors help to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. For more information, please visit our website: www.maxwell.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: Statements in this news release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:
— development and acceptance of products based on new technologies;
— demand for original equipment manufacturers’ products reaching anticipated levels;
— general economic conditions in the markets served by the company’s products;
— cost-effective manufacturing of new products;
— the impact of competitive products and pricing;
— risks and uncertainties involved in foreign operations, including the impact of currency fluctuations;
— product liability or warranty claims in excess of our reserves.
For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Maxwell’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of our SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Maxwell’s investor relations department at (858) 503-3434 or at our investor relations website at http://www.maxwell.com/investors/sec-filing.asp . All information in this release is as of August 2, 2007. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.
