Thousands of satellites circle our planet, many relying on TI space-qualified electronics to monitor changes in climate and oceans, improve farm yields, and provide us with communications, navigation, and other scientific data.
Space, however, is the most unforgiving of all operating environments. The harsh environment requires that the electronic components used in making satellites must withstand a wide variety of challenges ranging from hundreds of degrees of temperature change to massive amounts of radiation. Added to the mix is an expectation of flawless functioning for decades, usually without the possibility of upgrades or performance tweaks.