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RTS Intercom Shoots for the STARS

El Segundo, CA

The Spacelift Telemetry Acquisition & Reporting System (

STARS

) was developed to improve Aerospace’s day-of-launch support and post-flight analysis. Rather than send 40 engineers to the launch site (Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg

AFB

), the idea was to bring the data to them so they can perform “independent” analysis.

STARS

was impressed by the voice quality and flexibility of an RTS installation in another high-profile private aerospace facility, and they soon followed suit. Bruce Mau, a communications expert at

STARS

, describes how RTS intercom helps make launch day a success at

STARS

:

“Because we bring as many as 48 channels for a launch activity, our engineers have a good understanding of what’s going on at the launch site, such as what technical issues are in work. This gives the engineers the maximum amount of time to work through the issue and develop a recommended course of action. In a short countdown with a narrowly defined launch window, we have to be able to make recommendations very quickly.”?

The aerospace industry is rapidly evolving and becoming more and more sophisticated. Greater complexity requires greater communication and RTS is right there to fill the need.

“We continually add capabilities to our launch support. We are now tasked with independent verification of the launch trajectory, which requires an ability to communicate with the launch site to receive wind balloon data, and discuss the results with the contractor’s teams at their factory and at the launch site.”?

The flexibility of the RTS system allows for remote parties to dial-in and communicate just as effectively as if they were present at the launch site. RTS brings multitasking to a new level of sophistication.

“One of the byproducts of having this voice capability is that people who would normally travel to the launch site can support a launch just as easily here in El Segundo. For example, on two recent occasions, the Air Force director of launch programs had meeting conflicts and was unable to travel to Cape Canaveral for launch activities. Instead, he stayed here in El Segundo and effectively supported the missions remotely.”?

STARS

currently features a dual-frame

ADAM matrix

with

KP-32 series keypanels

spanning two discreet control areas. Utilizing a patented Time Division Multiplex (

TDM

) technique, the

ADAM

grows linearly as users are added; the system comes standard with redundant power supplies, and redundant controllers, allowing for automatic changeover in the event of failure.

ADAM

is available with the widest variety of interface cards in the industry, which includes the

AIO-8

,

AIO-16

,

AES-3

, and

RVONVoIP interfaces

. It also has a wide variety of cabling options, including RJ-11, DB-9, jack fields, and many others.

The

KP-32

combines all of the programmable features of the

KP-9X Series keypanels

and the

KP-12 keypanel

. It adds significant new features such as digital signal processing and binaural

headset

operation with left/right assignment of audio signals. The

KP-32

also introduces large, super-bright, long-life fluorescent displays with adjustable brightness control, making it suitable for all types of ambient lighting from direct sunlight to darkness.

“We are in the planning stages for a new building in El Segundo, and

STARS

will be relocated there. It will be bigger and better, with a number of additional console positions, a new

A/V

system, and a visitors seating area. We are also beefing up our facilities at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg

AFB

.”?

For more information, visit the RTS Intercom website:

www.rtsintercoms.com

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