Radiation hardened processor architecture developed for digital infrastructure in space

BAE Systems has successfully tested its Endura system-on-chip space processor, confirming its resilience against strategic and natural space radiation. The technology is designed for deployment in high-reliability space electronics, including single-board computers and complete system payloads for aerospace and defense applications.

Technical architecture and manufacturing roles
The development of the processor relies on complementary expertise in circuit design and semiconductor fabrication. BAE Systems utilized its radiation-hardened 45-nanometer (RH45 nm) technology library, which incorporates commercially licensed design methods for application-specific integrated circuits.

GlobalFoundries provided the foundational manufacturing platform at its facility in Malta, New York. The processor is fabricated using GlobalFoundries' 45nm silicon-on-insulator technology through a secure domestic manufacturing pipeline. This cooperation allows the integration of advanced commercial architectures into components that meet stringent defense and aerospace security requirements.

System functions and operational logic
The system-on-chip integrates a processing core with Level 1 and Level 2 caching mechanisms to optimize data throughput. To address shifting mission parameters, the architecture incorporates field-programmable gate array components that allow for mission-specific hardware acceleration.

The integration of these components provides hardware-accelerated input/output interfaces, minimizing physical size and power consumption while increasing processing efficiency. By utilizing a silicon-on-insulator substrate, the component limits the risk of single-event upsets and total ionizing dose failures caused by cosmic rays and strategic radiation.

Implementation and industry applications
The tested system-on-chip is being integrated into the next-generation Endura product line, which features secure boot, networking, and general-purpose processing functionalities. The underlying RH45 nm technology serves as a scalable architecture to improve the survivability of secondary space system elements, such as onboard computers.

The resulting digital infrastructure supports multiple tiers of mission assurance. The platform-agnostic design allows the components to be implemented across High Reliability Class A missions as well as lower-assurance Class C/D missions, balancing cost and radiation tolerance depending on the operational life and orbit requirements of the spacecraft.

Edited by Evgeny Churilov, Induportals Media - Adapted by AI.

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