https://www.forth.com/resources/space-applications/ Skip to content 0 Menu * Products & Services + Software Consulting Services + SwiftX Cross Compilers for Embedded Systems + SwiftForth Development Environment + Download Free Evaluation Versions * Buy Now + Books and Manuals + SwiftForth + SwiftX + Support Subscription Renewals + My Account * Books & Pubs + Forth Books by the Experts + Starting FORTH + The Evolution of Forth + Archive: Journal of Forth Application & Research * Resources + Featured Forth Applications + What is Forth? + Who Uses Forth? + Forth Web Sites + Forth System Archive * About + The Company + Privacy Policy + Terms and Conditions * Support + Forth Tech Support Options + Request Product Tech Support + SwiftForth Release History + SwiftX Release History + Shipping, Returns, and Refunds * Contact Us * 0 FORTH, Inc Forth in Space Applications Featured Forth Applications [svg] Also see: Space Shuttle Robot Arm Simulator Reprinted from the 14 April 2003 version of NASA staff's list of the uses of Forth in space applications. The list is archived at the Internet Archive WayBack Machine. The original URL was: http:// forth.gsfc.nasa.gov/, where it was curated by NASA's James Rash. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following table presents space-related applications of Forth microprocessors and the Forth programming language, including: * spacecraft flight system controllers * on-board payload experiment controllers * ground support systems (e.g., communications controllers and data processing systems) * hardware or software used to build or test either flight or ground systems. Developers are requested to supply table updates and corrections, as well as information regarding relevant projects not already included, as appropriate. Please send information, comments, and suggestions to the author of this web page. Authorization for release of the information is the responsibility of the contributor. Notice: Nothing appearing in these pages is to be construed as an endorsement by NASA. The information may be changed or withdrawn at any time without notice. The author has obtained the information from sources believed to be reliable, and has attempted to ensure accuracy, but makes no guarantees or representations of any kind. Copying, using, and distributing the table is authorized, provided it is kept intact, properly attributed, and accompanied by this Notice. DEVELOPER MISSION DESCRIPTION Controller for the Baja Technology Extreme Ultraviolet LLC IMAGE (EUV) instrument, using Harris RTX2010 Forth microprocessor Controller for the Ion Baja Technology and Electron Sensor LLC Rosetta instrument, using Harris RTX2010 Forth microprocessor Controller for the Baja Technology Avionics & Control (AOC) LLC Deep Impact system, using Harris RTX2010 Forth microprocessor Star Scanner instrument Ball Aerospace Advanced Composition & control software, Explorer (ACE) using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Software to control the Science Instrument Ball Aerospace Chandra X-ray Observatory selection and focus mechanisms, using Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor Software to operate precision CCD Aspect Ball Aerospace Chandra X-ray Observatory Camera, using Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor Scanning mirror controller for the Ball Aerospace Earth Observing System Thermal Imaging (EOS) Radiometer (TIR), using Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace Midcourse Sensor & control software, Experiment (MSX) - SDIO using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace Military aircraft & control software, using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Miniature Seeker Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace Technology Integration & control software, (MSTI) using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace Near Earth Asteroid & control software, Rendezvous (NEAR) using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor SAGE (Stratospheric CCD Controller Software, Ball Aerospace Aerosol and Gas using Harris RTX 2010 Experiment) III Forth microprocessor Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace Shuttle & control software, using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace Submillimeter Wave & control software, Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Star Tracker instrument Ball Aerospace X-ray Timing Explorer & control software, (XTE) using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor California Cosmic Ray Isotope Institute of Advance Composition Spectrometer (CRIS) Technology Explorer (ACE) instrument controller (Caltech) hardware (RTX2010) and software in Forth Solar California IsotopeSpectrometer Institute of Advance Composition (SIS) instrument Technology Explorer (ACE) controller hardware (Caltech) (RTX2010) and software in Forth Position encoder USAF Space-Based Infrared implemented with SwiftX FORTH, Inc. System (SBIRS) cross compiler on Harris RTX-2010 Forth microprocessor Telemetry system using Innovatia NASA & USAF tropospheric Innovatia MC1 Laboratories research balloons microcontroller running Forth-83 Johns Hopkins University Magnetometer instrument Applied USAF DMSP control PhysicsLaboratory (JHU/APL) Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager JHU/APL USAF DMSP (SSUSI), 5 missions over 15 years using Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor ULEIS (Ultra Low Energy Advanced Composition Isotope Spectrometer), JHU/APL Explorer (ACE) satellite using embedded Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor Magnetospheric Imager JHU/APL CASSINI spacecraft (MIMI) using Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor JHU/APL HILAT Magnetometer instrument control Hopkins Ultraviolet Instrument control, JHU/APL Telescope (HUT) on-line data analysis, telemetry JHU/APL MAGSAT Attitude Control Processor Polar Bear (Polar Beacon & Magnetometer instrument JHU/APL Auroral Research control Satellite) US Navy LONARS High Real time data JHU/APL precision navigation processing & sensor receiver using Loran-C control software Command & Telemetry Processor,Multi-Spectral Imaging System,Infrared Spectrograph and JHU/APL Near Earth Asteroid Magnetometer,X-ray/ Rendezvous (NEAR) Gamma-ray Spectrometer, andLaser Rangefinder, all using the Harris RTX 2010RH Forth microprocessor Los Alamos Solar wind data National Advanced Composition processing unit, using Laboratory Explorer (ACE) satellite Harris RTX 2010 Forth microprocessor Shuttle - Electrophoresis Pharmaceutical McDonnell Douglas Operations in Space (1986) purification process control software Space Adaptation Syndrom International Microgravity Experiment management McGill University Laboratory (IML-1) and data acquisition for (shuttle mission STS-42) four out of seven life science experiments Compatibility Test Van Dual channel PCM NASA/GSFC (CTV) simulator system software Compatibility Test Van Programmable Data NASA/GSFC (CTV): Landsat, HST, GRO, Formatter III system COBE, UARS, etc., Wallops, software Data Evaluation Lab MASSACQ Flight NASA/GSFC CRAF/CASSINI Instrument Test/ Calibration System Command and data NASA/GSFC Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) acquisition system written in Forth NASA/GSFC Massively Parallel Image processing Processor (MPP) software ITR (Intelligent NCC Mission Operations Transmitter/Receiver) -- NASA/GSFC Support Area (MOSA) Interface board for MOSA (formerly Mini-NOCC) Front End Shuttle Solar Backscatter Small Payload Ultra Violet (SSBUV) ozone Accommodation Module NASA/GSFC calibration instrument (SPAM) interface with eight successful controller software shuttle bay flights written in Forth Instrument Interface NASA/GSFC Shuttle Solar Backscatter Electronics Module Ultra Violet (SSBUV) (IIEM) software written in Forth A "Hitchhiker Junior", NASA/GSFC Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounder to fly summer '97 -- Experiment (SOLSE) instrument controller writtenin Forth A small independent NASA/GSFC Limb Ozone Retrieval instrument within SOLSE Experiment (LORE) -- instrument controller written in Forth Ultraviolet Imaging Dedicated Experiment NASA/GSFC Telescope (UIT) on Space Processor (DEP) written Shuttle Astro-2 mission in Forth Small Spacecraft Goddard Electronics NASA/GSFC Technology Initiative Module (GEM) data (SSTI) (Lewis Research acquisition processor Center/TRW) using Harris RTX-2010 Spacecraft Loads & Acoustic Monitor (SLAM) NASA/GSFC ACE (JHU/APL) simultaneous data acquisition and downlink subsystem using Harris RTX-2010 Virtual channel processor & system Wideband Transport Frame controller for the NASA/GSFC Formatter (WTFF) Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) Testbed using Harris RTX 2000 Forth microprocessor Krug Life Sciences NASA/JSC Shuttle, IML-1 Microgravity Vestibular Investigations NASA/JPL Shuttle Imaging Radar Command & control (SIR-B) software Portion of Ground NASA TOPEX Support Equipment software Globalstar, Thuraya, Iridium, ICO, Astrolink, various NASA missions including SWAS (Sub Microwave nearfield NSI millimeter wave astronomy antenna testing of satellite), Space Shuttle spacecraft antennas Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and Rosetta (comet probe) Orbital Sciences ORBCOMM Experimental Flight & experiment Corporation Package OXP-1 on Pegasus software Orbital Sciences ORBCOMM Experimental Flight & experiment Corporation Package OXP-1 on Pegasus software Orbital Sciences Multiplex Data Bus Corporation Monitor/Recorder test (formerly USAF Multimission Modular equipment using Harris Fairchild Space & Spacecraft (MMS) RTX2000 microprocessor Defense) and firmware written in Forth Orbital Sciences ORBCOMM-X Telemetry, flight Corporation control support Orbital Sciences USAF APEX Data management and Corporation power control software Orbital Sciences Sea WiFs data management Corporation SeaStar and power control software Orbital Sciences Telemetry & flight Corporation/ Pegasus control Hercules Integrated Housekeeping Unit (including navigation, attitude control, telemetry and telecommand tracking, Radio Amateur payload control, power Satellite Corp. management, health & (AMSAT-DL safety, and propulsion (Germany)) control) and Ground Support Equipment, all using the Forth-like language IPS (Interpreter for Process Structures). OSCAR 21 used the Harris RTX2000 microprocessor. Swedish Space Freja Magnetometer experiment Corp./JHU/APL control University of Magnetic Field California Galileo Experiment instrument control University of Wisconsin Ultraviolet Wisconsin Photo-Polarimeter Instrument control Experiment (WUPPE) Portion of ground US Navy SPINSAT support equipment software USSR Baikonur Cosmodrome Telemetry data analysis & retrieval workstations Vertex Satellite earth station 7210 Monopulse Antenna Communications antenna systems Control System on Corporation Motorola 68030 platform This reprint of NASA's James Rash's list of Forth in space applications is reprinted here, courtesy of FORTH, Inc., in order to preserve the information and make it more accessible. Contact information and names might have changed. Additions are welcome, in the event that we may update it -- use this web site's general contact form to provide details. Thank you. 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