U.S. firm provides radiation-hardened chips ensuring stability in extreme space environments

On July 30 of this year, an Earth observation satellite developed through the 'NISAR' project by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, and the Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, was launched into space from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, southern India. This satellite orbits the Earth from space, observing the planet's ecosystems, surface changes, and glaciers to provide information on natural disasters, rising sea levels, groundwater, and more. In the extreme environment of space, the Earth observation satellite must precisely analyze data and communicate with researchers on Earth, and a company has played a supporting role in this. That company is the U.S. semiconductor firm 'Texas Instruments (TI).'

TI is a company with extensive experience in the space semiconductor sector. It was also TI that supplied semiconductors for 'Apollo 11,' the first human mission to land on the moon. TI, which opened the door to semiconductor history by developing the world's first 'silicon transistor,' a core component of semiconductors, in 1954, has grown its business by supplying semiconductors with proven stability in the space, aerospace, and defense sectors. Since the 1960s, it has provided space semiconductor solutions, including supplying integrated circuits (ICs) mounted on satellites orbiting the Earth.

TI, which started in 1941 as an oil exploration company called 'Geophysical Service,' changed its name to the current one in 1951. After commercializing the silicon transistor for the first time globally, TI's engineer Jack Kilby, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics, invented the 'integrated circuit (IC),' often referred to as the backbone of semiconductors, in 1958, leading the company to transition its business to semiconductors. TI's revenue last year was $15.64 billion (22.3073 trillion Korean won), making it an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) that directly designs and manufactures analog and power semiconductors used in automobiles, communication equipment, and data centers.

Jason Clark, TI's head of aerospace systems, said in a written interview with Chosun Biz on the 1st, "From supplying components for the Apollo 11 moon landing mission to exploration, satellites, and telescopes, we have supported numerous achievements in humanity's exploration of new frontiers." He added, "TI will collaborate with various global space agencies and companies to realize future space exploration projects." Clark, who graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the U.S., joined TI in 1998 and has been responsible for product marketing and aerospace systems semiconductor development for about 28 years.

For the NISAR project, TI supplies radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant semiconductors. These semiconductors are specially designed and manufactured to withstand external environmental factors such as radiation, temperature, and mechanical shock. Mounted on satellites orbiting outside Earth, they perform roles including power management, high-speed data transmission, and precise signal processing. TI has been involved in the NISAR project from its early stages and has collaborated throughout all phases, from component design to finished product supply, over the past decade.

Clark explained, "Satellites must endure extreme environments, including high radiation, drastic temperature changes, and vacuum conditions, while orbiting for years." He added, "The system components are specially designed to be reliable and operate normally for long periods, with all products supporting operating temperatures from -55 to 125 degrees Celsius." The following is a Q&A with Clark.

-- What was the background of TI's support for the NISAR project?

"TI has been developing space semiconductor solutions for over 60 years since designing the first integrated circuit (IC) in the 1960s. TI's semiconductors have supported numerous achievements in humanity's exploration of new frontiers, from supplying components for the Apollo 11 moon landing mission to various explorations, satellites, and telescopes.

As TI possesses the industry's most extensive and diverse portfolio of space semiconductors, customers wanted to collaborate with us, and TI supported them in maximizing precision and performance in satellite systems. TI's engineers provided technical expertise throughout the NISAR project to help the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) meet the system requirements for low-Earth orbit satellites. By collaborating from the component selection phase through the entire development cycle, we ensured the NISAR satellite could operate stably in the harsh environment of space throughout its mission."

-- What functions do the TI semiconductors mounted on the recently launched satellite perform?

"TI's space-grade semiconductors assist in sampling images at ultra-high speeds, converting analog signals to digital, and visualizing areas detected by radar. They also enable the 'advanced S-band SAR functionality,' a technology that observes the Earth's surface at high resolution. The satellite integrates various systems that must communicate seamlessly, and TI supplies semiconductors for this communication. Most importantly, all semiconductors are designed and manufactured to maximize stability in extreme cold and hot environments, achieved through customized designs optimized for the satellite's internal and external conditions."

-- Reliability and durability are required in the harsh environment of space.

"Satellites must endure extreme environments, including high radiation levels, drastic temperature changes, and vacuum conditions, while orbiting for years. TI designs and tests products certified for space to withstand these harsh conditions. All products support operating temperatures from -55 to 125 degrees Celsius and are built with robust packaging materials. Once a satellite is in orbit, hardware repairs are impossible, so it is critical that system components are reliable and operate normally for extended periods."

-- Were there any difficulties during the development process?

"In developing low-Earth orbit satellites, unexpected variables must be controlled. The top priority is ensuring all electronic components withstand the harsh space environment, while also optimizing size, weight, and power for the satellite's conditions. This directly impacts reducing launch costs, improving system efficiency, and extending mission lifespan. TI supplied radiation-hardened power management semiconductors to modules developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation's Space Applications Centre to meet the NISAR mission's size, weight, and power requirements."

-- What is the significance of this project, and what are TI's future goals?

"Satellite systems are becoming more complex due to increasing demand for on-orbit data processing, transmission, high-resolution imaging, and precision sensing. TI is actively investing in space-grade analog, embedded processing for onboard computer systems, and power management semiconductors to meet these customer needs. The successful progress of this project has further proven TI's technological capabilities. Over the past year, TI has released more than 50 radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant products and plans to continue these efforts. Expanding our portfolio supports aerospace and aviation engineers in optimizing size, weight, and power while incorporating more advanced features into spacecraft. This will contribute to humanity's deeper understanding and exploration of Earth and space."