Space Tech Expo: DSI and Frontgrade Agreement to Develop and Distribute Next Evolution of SpaceStor 2TB Mass Memory Unit for Space

At Space Tech Expo, representatives from DSI Aerospace GmbH, a provider of high-performance electronics and mass storage systems for airborne and space applications, and Frontgrade Technologies, provider of high-reliability, radiation-assured solutions for the defense, commercial, and civil industries, signed an agreement to develop Frontgrade’s SpaceStor 2TB mass memory unit.

From left at podium: David Meyouhas, VP, product management, Frontgrade
and Elias Hashem, CEO, DSI Aerospace, signed an agreement at Space Tech Expo

After DSI completes design of the MMU, Frontgrade will assemble and test at its Colorado, U.S. facility, and serve as the exclusive storefront for SpaceStor in North America.

Under this newly signed agreement, Frontgrade will leverage its own 60-year space flight heritage with DSI’s proven expertise in flash memory controller IP and full mass memory unit hardware. The SpaceStor MMU is being designed to meet the demanding requirements of today’s Space environment and missions where reliable data storage is paramount. This rad-tolerant MMU offers a flexible, low power, and cost-effective data storage solution for the harshest environments.

Meyouhas and Hashem were joined at the signing ceremony by Bremen’s governor, Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte; Bremen’s senator for economic affairs, ports and transformation, Kristina Vogt; and Dr. Walther Pelzer, director general, German Space Agency at DLR.

“By bringing together Frontgrade’s extensive subsystem and flash heritage with DSI’s proven mass memory solutions, we will bring to our customers the next-gen in high-performance Mass Memory Units needed to ultimately span the entire range of missions from LEO to GEO and beyond,” Meyouhas said. “We look forward to disrupting the MMU market by introducing a low SWAP-C, 2TB product to North America.”

The SpaceStor MMU benefits from a combination of well-established software, firmware, and hardware elements carrying flight heritage into producing a powerful and scalable space-assured, mass memory solution.

Hashem added, “We are thrilled to enter into this agreement with such a well-established partner in the North American market. Together, we bring decades of expertise, combining our rich heritage of state-of-the-art solutions that will be incorporated into Frontgrade’s SpaceStor – engineered in Germany and made in the USA.”

The SpaceStor MMU is provided in a 3U SpaceVPX form factor with a mezzanine that implements up to 2TB of EDAC protected NAND storage and, as a result, can be easily and rapidly customized for mission-specific storage requirements.

Frontgrade and DSI expect to begin shipping prototypes in late 2025.