BANGALORE: Wind River Systems has empowered X-38, a spacecraft developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with its VxWorks embedded real-time operating system.

The X-38 resembles a smaller, sleeker version of the NASA Space Shuttle. It will be affixed to the outside of the ISS, acting as a "lifeboat" in case the men and women aboard the ISS need to abandon ship. The crew will enter the X-38, close the hatch and hit "Go." The entire operation of the X-38 will be automated, requiring no input from the passengers. Since these space scientists have not been trained as pilots, they would not have the skills needed to fly the X-38 from the ISS to the Earth. They will have to rely on the systems and software to bring them home.

The complexity of the X-38 demands upon the VxWorks operating system. "This is a vehicle that’s got to fly like a spacecraft, then in the atmosphere like an airplane, and it’s got to deploy a parachute and fly like a skydiver," said NASA’s X-38 project manager John Muratore. "And that means that we’ve got to fly in many different modes. Those modes all have events that happen on a very regular basis, very fast, and that’s why the operating system is so critical."

In addition to controlling every aspect of the flight of the X-38, the VxWorks operating system will also be responsible for the precise operation of all communication and life support functions. It’s a responsibility that is not taken lightly at Wind River. "The reason NASA chose VxWorks is the same reason that many of our other customers have chosen it," said Wind River India’s country manager, Ajit Edlabadkar. "We provide them with a very reliable keystone. They need us so they can concentrate on their other critical areas."