The Space Shuttle launch computer control system at NASA Kennedy Space Center

Abstract

This paper illustrates how a complex application, the data acquisition and Space Shuttle Launch Control System at NASA Kennedy Space Center, which requires both intensive communications and high processing power, can be mapped into an advanced open system architecture. This is achieved by employing a symmetric, tightly-coupled multiprocessor system which includes a high bandwidth common memory bus, an efficient interrupt distribution scheme, dedicated high-performance I/O processors, and runs a multiprocessor real-time UNIX operating system. The authors concentrate on the Data Acquisition System. First, the communication and processing requirements for the system is specified. Then, on the basis of the model of the system, the multiprocessor architecture is defined to meet these requirements.<>