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20 Jul 17. LDRA, the leader in standards compliance, automated software verification, software code analysis, and test tools, has updated the LDRA tool suite for the PowerPC assembler language to support all 32- and 64-bit PowerPC chips used in safety-critical environments such as communication terminals, commercial and military avionics, unmanned air vehicles, and missile and space flight applications. Such support enables LDRA customers, including those who have been using the LDRA tool suite for many years on traditional avionics platforms, to move to the latest versions of PowerPC chips and compilers, and confidently perform Object Code Verification (OCV) required for DO-178B/C compliance. As the only company to provide a complete structural coverage analysis tool for both application source and assembler code from unit to system and integration levels, LDRA is making it easy for avionics customers to certify their systems as they upgrade their 604-based legacy PowerPC chips to the newer e500/600 chips. LDRA’s updated assemblers support the e200, e300, e500, e600, e5500, and e5600 PowerPC families, as well as traditional PowerPC chips such as the 603e and 604. The LDRA tool suite is the only commercially available software solution able to qualify assembler code for certification. Used to demonstrate source-to-object-code traceability, the LDRA tool suite for PowerPC assemblers can analyze the relationship between the two levels of code and highlight any instances of additional or extraneous code at the object level. This integration ensures that the LDRA tool suite will support organizations that must demonstrate process compliance, particularly for applications where complete OCV must be realized to meet the highest levels of safety certification as required under the DO-178B/C Level A safety-assurance standard.
20 Jul 17. US-developed Biarri Point satellite launched into orbit. Australian Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne has announced that the Biarri Point cube satellite has been successfully deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) into its own orbit.
The US-developed satellite carrying a GPS technology payload was launched to ISS in April.
The GPS technology payload was developed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, and Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group.
According to Pyne, the Namaru GPS technology is the first fully Australian and New Zealand-developed GPS payload for a cube-satellite.
Pyne said: “The Namuru GPS technology is on-orbit and is successfully functioning correctly, providing significant research benefits.
“It is conducting a range of experiments aimed at increasing our understanding of outer atmospheric effects on small satellites, and improving our situational awareness of space.”
The satellite has been deployed from the space station’s Nano Racks into its own orbit, a move that comes following the recent announcement of the Australian Government to review its space industry capability.
Pyne added: “The 2016 Defence White Paper highlights the importance of space-based systems for information gathering, communications, navigation and surveillance for all Australian Defence Force and coalition operations.
“Advances in small low-cost space platforms provide a unique opportunity to support Australian Defence Force capabilities and to rejuvenate Australian space research.”
Biarri Point is a pathfinder mission in a defence-related project involving Australia, the US, Canada, and the UK, according to NASASpaceflight. The project intends to develop a constellation of formation-flying satellites for a military application. This three-unit CubeSat forms part of the National Reconnaissance Office’s Colony-2 programme, providing CubeSat buses for military technology demonstration missions. (Source: airforce-technology.com