Radiation Testing of COTS Components and Lessons from the ESA Study CORHA

ABSTRACT

Nanosatellites such as CubeSats have become a popular and cost-effective way to access space [1]. The increased interest in flying small-satellite missions and projects of the European Space Agency, ESA, to improve the reliability of SmallSats have resulted in increased utilization of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for space. COTS components are used not only for SmallSat applications but also on mainstream missions that rely on the latest technology, such as high-performance applications. To account for this development, ESA initiated a study on radiation screening of COTS components and verification of the COTS radiation hardness assurance (RHA) approach (CORHA).

The CORHA project was coordinated by Seibersdorf Laboratories, Austria, and was performed in collaboration with the University of Padova, Italy. The objectives of the CORHA study were to (1) screen and procured current technology COTS components available on the market, (2) prepare and execute TID and SEE radiation test campaigns, and (3) propose an ad-hoc RHA approach for COTS components.

Speaker: Christoph Tscherne – Seibersdorf Laboratories

Christoph Tscherne is an engineer and expert for radiation hardness assurance and space weather at Seibersdorf Laboratories. As an engineer for radiation hardness assurance, he has carried out numerous measurement campaigns and has broad knowledge of data analysis. He is the project leader of numerous national and international projects and leads the design, development, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of SATDOS, an in-house dosimeter payload for Nanosatellite applications.