Standardizing Space Ovenized Crystal Oscillators For Lower Cost And Faster Delivery

Building for space is challenging. Program management requirements, parts availability and delivery, parts costs, and testing costs historically make space OCXOs expensive and longlead. Standardizing specifications based on MIL-PRF-55310, NASA EEE-INST-002, NASA Parts Selection List, and GSFC Preferred Parts Lists, and procuring parts to vendors standard drawings can significantly reduce costs and improve delivery of high-performance OCXOs. Wenzel presents a discussion of parts, materials, and screening specifications for cost and delivery for three grades of OCXOs. Wenzel Associates builds high-performance, very-low-noise oscillators, frequency standards and synthesizers for military, space, and commercial requirements. Space oscillators have recently been completed for Los AlamosNNSA, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the AquariusSAC-D sea surveyor, and TACSAT-4 for NASA. Wenzels oscillators were provided to the Mars Lander Mission for JPL, the NEAR Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Satellite for Johns Hopkins APL, and Northrop Grumman and NASA for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System NPOESS. Flight Models of the X-band synthesizer for the Mars Science Laboratorys landing radar for JPL were delivered this year.