Rad-Hard Design for Space Applications

Find out what it takes to make electronics work in space, including radiation-hardened solutions.

March 7, 2025

3 min read

What you'll learn:

Rad-Hard Design Techniques
Handling Power Density in Space
Space Application Design
Testing Rad-Hard Space Designs
EMI Mitigation in Space Applications
Webinars - Addressing Space and Radiation Hardened Design

This TechXchange takes a look at designing electronic systems for deployment in space, including low Earth orbit (LEO). The TechXchange collects new and existing articles and media that address space and radiation-hardened applications.

Ah, Kirk, my old friend. Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is very cold in space.
- Khan Noonien Singh | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

It's also a vacuum and usually full of radiation that can be a challenge for anything electronic.

Space applications push the envelope for a variety of reasons. Low-power, high-power-density solutions are preferable. All of the usual design challenges also exist, including cooling considerations, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and, with rare exceptions, there's no remote physical maintenance.

Rugged designs are a given, since equipment needs to be boosted into orbit. Vacuum tends to be unforgiving, so many plastics and other materials degrade or don't work as expected.

Of course, there's the radiation component, because this equipment doesn't have the protection that's provided by Earth's atmosphere. Redundancy is one way to address radiation, but redundancy has its own uses, especially for long-term deployments.

Rad-Hard Design Techniques

Radiation-hardened design can be applied at all levels, from the chip and chip packaging on up. Plastic packaging may be an option for some components, and where a device will live comes into play.

Can Your Wi-Fi Router Survive Space? It Just Might with Rad-Hard Chips

Already able to withstand the most extreme environments on Earth, radiation-hardened hardware could be the linchpin toward bringing Wi-Fi to outer space.

How Do You Counter the High-Radiation Environment of Space?

This article examines the mitigation techniques that allow space equipment to cope with ionizing solar radiation.

EnSilica

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Plastic Packaging Standard Changes the Game for Space Electronics

Sponsored by Texas Instruments: Many of the satellites circling our planet rely on TI space-qualified electronics to monitor changes in climate and oceans, improve farm yields...

Texas Instruments

Electronic Components for Hostile Space Environments

Sponsored by Texas Instruments: To handle the hazards of space, satellite and space-targeted equipment developers are turning more to radiation-hardened parts, such as current...

Texas Instruments

Ensure Reliability in LEO Missions with Rad-Tolerant Plastic ICs

Sponsored by Texas Instruments: The latest plastic encapsulated microcircuits provide extensive radiation characterization to meet the requirements of low-Earth-orbit missions...

Texas Instruments

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Programmable AI SoC Built to Handle Space Hazards

According to AMD, its space-qualified, radiation-tolerant XQR Versal SoC is ready to start shipping in early 2023.

Electronic Design

Talking With Renesas About Rad-Hard Devices

Startups in the space (pun intended) have been expanding old applications, creating new ones, and promising ones over the horizon, from intraorbital satellite taxis to future ...

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Handing Power Density in Space

Why discuss power density for space-borne devices? Size is sometimes an issue, especially on smaller satellites, but it's useful even when more space is available. This enables more power to be provided, which can lead to more functionality or reliability, depending on the design.

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Achieving Power Density for NASA Aircraft and Mars Rovers

From panels to arrays, solar energy—backed by battery power—may be the best solution to power management for satellites.

Electronic Design

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ISS Power-Density Plans: Now and into the Future

The International Space Station, which has survived for more than 20 years, will be gone in 2031. NASA looks to go the commercial route for the next station as it concentrates...

Electronic Design

Moon Mission: Powering the Lunar Surface

We’re going back to the Moon, but more electrical power is needed to live there. NASA and selected companies will develop technologies to enable long-term exploration.

Electronic Design

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Testing Rad-Hard Space Designs

Testing of radiation-hardened systems usually needs to be done before they're deployed. This can require different test methodologies as well as different or modified test equipement.

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Board-Level Qualification Testing for Rad-Hard MOSFET Packaging

High-reliability rad hard MOSFETs undergo extensive screening and quality conformance testing to ensure that devices perform to specification in the harshest environments.

Infineon Technologies

Find the Right Space-Qualified Device to Meet Your Mission's Quality Needs

Sponsored by Texas Instruments: Outgassing and radiation-based degradation puts strict limits on materials that can be used in space. An advanced product qualification process...

Texas Instruments

Hardening And Testing Semiconductor Devices In The Space Radiation Environment

Successful part performance in the space environment requires hardening at the part level as well as thorough characterization and acceptance testing.

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Space Application Design

Space-based applications tend to lean toward communication and observation. The International Space Station (ISS) is going to be replaced in the future. The question is by what... and what can be done?

Space Engineering Enters Its Next Frontier

Sponsored by Texas Instruments: In the decades since 1961, space-grade ICs have evolved to reach unprecedented levels of performance and reliability in compact, low-power packages...

Texas Instruments

Leveraging Space for Next-Gen Communications Networks

Our relationship with space-based systems is evolving and expanding rapidly. We talked to MathWorks’ Houman Zarrinkoub for his take on this industry.

Electronic Design

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EMI Mitigation in Space Applications

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a problem in outer space as well as on the planet. Addressing EMI in space can be more challenging, but it's possible.