London, UK - Smiths Interconnect, a leading provider of technically differentiated electronic components, subsystems, microwave and radio frequency products, announces today the release of the SpaceNXT™ Q series of flexible coaxial cable assemblies. The Q cable assemblies offer many enhancements over a QPL or commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product: they are pre-tested and qualified for the space orbit environment, readily available as cut to length, dual-terminated assemblies, and offered at cost-effective prices. The Q series is part of an initiative to create an entire range of high performance, high reliability products for next generation space applications.
The SpaceNXT™ Q series currently consists of the 105Q, 190Q, and 200Q cable models which cover key performance characteristics at various frequency bands from DC to 40 GHz. They are available in standard mechanical lengths or phase-matched electrical lengths as needed.
These versatile cable assemblies have low loss characteristics, are resilient to temperature variations and meet the rigorous outgassing requirements of NASA/ESA when tested per ASTM E595 standards.
SpaceNXT™ Q cable assemblies are built using established manufacturing processes and combine stainless steel or beryllium copper connectors with silver plated copper cable conductors that are soldered directly for a robust cable-to-connector transition. They are assembled in a controlled environment, and each solder joint can be verified using a real-time radiographic (X-ray) inspection system. Q cables can be validated for a wide range of requirements regarding Engineering Models (EM) and Flight Models (FM) either at Smiths Interconnect’s in-house test laboratories or one of our qualified external facilities.
“The SpaceNXT™ Q cable assemblies benefit from Smiths Interconnect’s design expertise gained from over 30+ years of space heritage totaling over 150 satellite applications, and 40 miles of assemblies”, says Paul Harris, VP of Sales & Marketing. “They provide our customers with a combination of highly reliable technology and lower cost of ownership that enable operators to overcome potential market entry barriers while enjoying the benefits of an established technology partner.”