Radiation testing of electrical components or subsystems
Radiation in space is one of the biggest challenges for electronic components as the radiation can damage components and lead to either data or mission loss. Space-qualified components, however, are very expensive and not affordable in university projects. In LEO missions, commercial of the shelf (COTS) components have been proven to be sufficient when mission lifetime is limited and the orbit is sufficiently low. However, SEEs and TID effect also the COTS components. To prove suitability of individual parts and estimate the behavior, TID and SEE tests need to be performed still.
Parts of interest that have been identified so far for qualification are:
- silicon photomultiplier diodes (SiPM) (relevant for LEO and a lunar mission)
- analog-digital converters
- processor modules (micro controller, and FPGA)
This task includes
- design and manufacturing of support and test equipment for either a TID or SEE test,
- preparation of the test plan,
- joining the test campaign,
- and analysing the test results.