Wind River RTOS deployed in experimental aircraft

Wind River RTOS deployed in experimental aircraft
By Charles J. Murray, EE Times
December 18, 2001 (5:40 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011214S0048

PARK RIDGE, Ill — Wind River Systems Inc.'s VxWorks real-time operating system got a ride in NASA's fabled X-series of experimental aircraft Thursday (Dec. 13), controlling the landing of the X-38 craft at Edwards Air Force Base. In an unmanned test, the X-38 was dropped from the underside of a B-52 bomber at 40,000 feet. It glided down, popped a parachute and floated to Edwards.

The VxWorks embedded OS controlled navigation, guidance, communications and operation of the flight control surfaces. In later, manned operations, it will also control such features as de-orbit propulsion and life support. The 30-foot-long craft incorporates 10 Radstone 604R embedded computers based on Motorola 68040 processors.

Thursday's operation served as a test for the X-38. Ultimately, NASA plans to use the X-38 to shuttle as many as seven passengers from the International Space Station. The embedded operating system is considered critical because the passe ngers are not assumed to be pilots, and the vehicle must therefore be capable of landing itself.

"This is a life-critical situation," said Deborah Buscher, software lead for the X-38 project at NASA Johnson Space Center. "We need an operating system that's available and reliable."

The X-series dates back to October 1947, when the X-1 became the first aircraft to break the speed of sound..