Taking Smallsats to the Next Level - Sensible Radiation Requirements and Qualification That Won't Break the Bank

Taking Smallsats to the Next Level - Sensible Radiation Requirements and Qualification That Won't Break the Bank

The natural space radiation environment can be considered harsh for semiconductor electronics that make up SmallSat instruments and systems. Radiation effects impact Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) device performance in multiple ways: semiconductor material degradation and charge creation within the device. SmallSats usually achieve their goals by utilizing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components, which can be considered more susceptible to radiation effects than high reliability components which have higher piece part costs. The impacts can accrue over the mission life or have instantaneous repercussions, thus, they are highly dependent on the mission environment. Unique mission launch date (period within the solar cycle), duration, and destination (orbit) determine the resultant radiation hazard. SmallSats are seeking a way to plan for operation in environments beyond low inclination, Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and short lifetime. In order to succeed with budget and schedule limitations experienced on the SmallSat paradigm, they will need to adopt practices of radiation hardness assurance (RHA). Radiation requirements and testing need to be tailored such that they do not impose overburden.