Course Description

Radiation Hardness Assurance for New Space Missions and Advanced Electronics: Challenges, Risks and Approaches for Success

Announcement for the 2026 IEEE NSREC Short Course 

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available. For the interested attendees, an exam will be given at the end of the short course. The course is valued at 0.6 CEUs, and is endorsed by the IEEE and by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

Short Course Chair

PART I – APPLICATIONS OF THE NATURAL SPACE ENVIRONMENT TO HEAVY ION SINGLE EVENT EFFECTS TESTING

Dr. Justin Likar, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Justin Likar of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory will describe the natural space environment with specific practical applications for Heavy Ion Single Event Effects (SEE) testing. The discussion will begin with an overview of the charged particle environments in which all modern space systems operate and include methods for modelling and developing project test requirements. Applications to Heavy Ion SEE testing will be explored, and will consider particle accelerator environments, principles of operation and benefits, limitations and considerations of specific laboratories. Pertinent elements of radiation transport through matter will be discussed with the focus being on practical implementation and methods for determining the sensitive volume (SV). Several illustrative examples of the linear energy transfer (LET) determination will be reviewed, comparing the LET at one (or more) SV in in-flight applications with those achievable using mono-energetic or fragmented Heavy Ion beams; exemplar test articles represent modern, complex systems offering multiple, deep SV and a variety of composition materials requiring high energy Heavy Ion or protons to test. Practical applications for SEE test design and execution will be highlighted throughout.

PART II – MODELING SINGLE EVENT EFFECTS IN CMOS

Dr. Christina Plettner, European Space Research and Technology Center

Cristina Plettner of the European Space Research and Technology Center, Avionics and EEE Division will describe the principles of the radiation hardness assurance (RHA) methodology at ESA, encompassing Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Displacement Damage and Single Event Effects aspects. The presentation will kick off with some lessons learned from the distant past spacecraft anomalies or failures as motivation. Then, a short overview of the specific space environment will be given, with the emphasis of few models of the solar flares. Each mission, depending on its criticality, needs to include and design for a certain class of solar flare. A short overview of ESA missions, cosmic and solar system explorers, will be highlighted. The TID and total non-ionizing dose (TNID) effects will be discussed, with an emphasis on the lot-to-lot variability and how the RHA can mitigate that effectively. The system requirements flow down to subsystem and part level, respectively, will be explained, along with the necessary RHA activities, which need to take place as a function of the specific project phase. Two examples of ESA projects will be focused on illustrating the flexibility of the RHA approaches as a function of mission class (and implicit their different criticality): one Alpha mission class, envisaged for the Lagrange L5 point, with the spacecraft able to map continuously key parameters during a major solar flare and issuing warnings towards Earth; one Gamma mission class, a cube sat mission in the Low Earth Environment (LEO).

PART III – RADIATION EFFECTS IN NONVOLATILE MEMORIES

Dr. David Hansen, L3 Harris

The space radiation effects community has developed a number of techniques to predict the single event upset rate of semiconductor devices. Despite significant progress in this field, there are often conflicts in the guidelines presented by different authors, and the parameterization of methods can be unclear. Additionally, with the advent of more complex devices, board-level testing, and architectural hardening techniques, many older methods are inadequate for modern technologies. Dr. David Hansen of L3Harris will present an overview of the current calculation methods for predicting single event effects, and methods for dealing with system level effects. His presentation will be based on insights gained from on-orbit data and will address numerous gaps in the existing rate calculation methodologies.

PART IV – RADIATION EFFECTS IN SYSTEMS

Dr. Andrea Coronetti, The Exploration Company

The growing competitiveness and time-to-market pressures in the space industry are reshaping mission assurance practices. Schedule and budget constraints increasingly drive design choices, encouraging exploration of alternative approaches regarding radiation hardness assurance (RHA). Yet, the field remains fragmented and lacks standardization, particularly at higher integration levels. This course, led by Dr. Andrea Coronetti of The Exploration Company, introduces the methodology of system-level radiation testing as a practical pathway to address this gap. Participants will learn how to design and conduct meaningful tests of commercial off-the-shelf components and systems and manage black-box scenarios. Special focus will be placed on test planning, beam selection, test execution logic, and common pitfalls to avoid, ensuring interpretable and useful outcomes. By the end, attendees new to RHA will be equipped with the tools to craft a balanced RHA strategy that aligns with schedule, budget, and acceptable risk—while making informed decisions that connect test results to real-world space environments. The course will also showcase the complementary value of test-as-you-fly approaches and verification of radiation effects mitigations that are paramount when using commercial off-the-shelf electronics in space systems.