 ITE
was selected by the
Goddard Space Flight Center to provide the
system engineering for the Robot Operated Materials Processing System
(ROMPS). The robot, operating in a GAS can in the shuttle bay, moved
semiconductor samples to an annealing oven for processing in the
virtually zero gravity environment of space. Once processed, the robot
returned the sample to its storage location and got the next one for
processing. A total of 154 samples were processed this way. After the
shuttle landed they were distributed to several universities for
evaluation.
 In addition to
systems engineering, ITE designed and
built flight
hardware and designed the individual sample holders that provided
unique annealing atmospheres to each sample. The holders each had
quartz windows that faced the annealing oven when positioned in place.
ITE also provided ground support equipment, developed software and
provided mission operation support during the shuttle flight STS-64.
|
|