This artifact is a microelectronic hybrid signals processing device designed for use on the NASA EOS AM-1 earth observation satellite.
To meet weight and space constraints on the spacecraft, the device used layering to achieve complex function in a small size . Beneath the visible surface of electrical devices and connections are several additional conducting and nonconducting layers. The buried conducting layers provide additional pathways for connecting the electrical devices on the hybrid's top layer. The completed hybrid is an ingenious puzzle in which nearly one hundred chips and devices are integrated through more than a thousand connections. The gold-colored wire pins on the sides of the case connect the hybrid to a circuit board or electronic device.
This design represented the state of the art in miniaturization for such hybrids as of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lockheed Martin donated this artifact to the Museum in 1998.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
SPACECRAFT-Uncrewed-Instruments & Payloads
Manufacturer
General Electric Space Systems Division
Dimensions
Overall: 0.64 x 5.4 x 8.89cm (1/4in. x 2 1/8in. x 3 1/2in.)
Materials
Overall: Alumina, plastic, copper, glass, gold, aluminum, steel, adhesive, epoxy, paint
Inventory Number
A19980313003
Credit Line
Gift of Lockheed Martin
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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