MASTER II Next Generation Satellite OBC

MASTER II is 2NDSpace’s next-generation on-board computing platform for small satellites. Built on an advanced architecture that separates the control layer from the computing layer, it brings an approach typically found in complex, high-criticality space systems into the nanosatellite domain. The result is a compact, integrable, and mission-ready platform designed for enhanced resilience, greater controllability, and superior energy efficiency. MASTER II is designed for missions that demand more than conventional command and data handling: its architecture combines deterministic hardware-level supervision with high-performance on-board processing, while enabling high-consumption resources only when needed. This makes it an ideal platform for next-generation missions with software-defined payloads, deep platform integration, and greater in-orbit autonomy. Key features include dual-section (A/B) redundancy for system-level resilience, hardware-driven failover with deterministic switching independent of software boot, an always-on Guardian FPGA managing health monitoring, watchdogs, resets and controlled power cycling, separated control and computing authority, a high-performance PolarFire SoC for mission logic and payload control, on-demand Coral Edge TPU AI acceleration, and a modular interface architecture with low-speed interfaces on the main board and high-speed connectivity via add-on modules (including a BRIDGE board for SpaceFibre/10GbE expansion). MASTER II can directly support payload functions, reducing latency and limiting raw data downlink, making it an enabler for resilient, software-defined, and increasingly autonomous small satellite missions.