MEMS Spaceborne Testbed

Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technology can significantly reduce the cost to design, launch and operate space systems. MEMS technology offers low cost, small light weight and reliable devices which can significantly reduce the size, weight and cost of spacecraft while increasing their reliability through durability and redundancy. A standard spaceborne interface/cabinet that is readily available for experiments for inexpensive testing of MEMS devices in space is discussed. The MEMS testbed will provide fixtures for holding MEMS devices, ambient environment monitoring, an assortment of available operating voltages, RF and low frequency signal inputs, sources of various gases and pressure monitors, a command and control interface computer, and a data interface which will record or transmit the data and performance parameters of these small systems.