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.
