Magnum P62F Hardened Switches are used in some serious action aboard the NASA C-130 aircraft. The P62F's are the center of the distributed PC data system that is running a scanning microwave radiometer attached to the rear cargo ramp. The radiometer is used for studying the earth's water cycle - such as imaging water vapor in the atmosphere, soil moisture, ocean salinity, and ice formation. All data and commands pass through the P62F Switches between the central computer and its remote nodes.
The pictures above show parts of the research instrument as well as the equipment mounted to the aircraft, and then the aircraft in action. These flights were conducted at 10,000 ft. and were used to verify the operation of the instrument. The cargo ramp was left open during flight. All systems inside were at high-altitude pressure and temperature.
According to the testers, "the P62F Switches performed excellent both in the physical environment and data passing efficiency."
