Pumpkin BM2 battery module passes SLS II EMI radiated tests at NASA MSFC

Pumpkin's BM2 intelligent Li-Ion battery module will fly as part of one or more payloads on NASA's Artemis II mission. As part of mission assurance testing, NASA needed to know whether the BM2 would pass the MIL-Std 461 RE102 (EMI radiated emissions) test should a battery separation inhibit fail, since a failure could conceivably interfere with the mission's range safety devices. To pass the test, the BM2 would have to exhibit radiated emissions well below a prescribed limit, spanning the 200MHz to 18GHz RF range.  Testing was conducted on July 15 at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama in a large all-metal-wall EMI test room that utilizes air bladders to seal the metal doors of the room while these sensitive tests are in progress.

The BM2's RBF and Separation inhibits were removed (this simulates a Sep inhibit failure after the host spacecraft has been integrated onto the LV), and emissions were scanned from 200MHz to 1GHz and then from 1GHz to 18GHz. As can be seen from the test plot covering 200MHz to 1GHz, the BM2 easily passed this radiated emissions test, with a considerable margin to spare. This confirms that the multiple processors that make up part of the BM2 architcture (for battery safety and higher-level functions like providing telemetry in engineering units, performing cell balancing and enabling deep sleep modes) have been proven to not interfere with NASA's operational concerns. Pumpkin extends its thanks to the NASA employees and contractors who suggested, managed and performed this EMI test.

MSFC is inside of the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is just outside of the Redstone arsenal grounds, and includes both outside and inside exhibits. Also, Space Camp is located next door. Those of you reading this who are into rockets should plan on visiting the museum -- it's definitely worth a trip.

Images (C) Andrew E. Kalman and/or courtesy of NASA.