Iris anticipates LCCE-2 will supplant the electronics presently used by the prime contractors for their "core" cryocoolers, such as the NGAS HEC, the Ball SB-235, and the Raytheon RS1 and RSP2. This will make LCCE-2 applicable for missile defense, surveillance and reconnaissance, and in short the entire gamut of DoD critical mission for space-based infrared payloads.
The overall benefit to NASA for space-based infrared sensing is tremendous. The LCCE-2 will be a fraction of the cost of traditional space cryocooler electronics, yet it will have the ability to support the most jitter-sensitive payloads and/or operate on any spacecraft without special accommodation by the power bus. This is expected to lead to flight opportunities on Earth Ventures, climate satellites, deep space astronomy instruments, and interplanetary mission payloads.
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